The government’s response to Lord Leitch’s skills review was expected last week, but has been put back pending the inauguration of the new prime minister.

However, the announcement made by the Department for Education and Skills on Thursday gives a flavour of what many expect from the main implementation plan when it finally arrives in early July.

Education secretary Alan Johnson unveiled the first 150 employers to sign up to a Skills Pledge to support their staff’s development of basic skills.

All well and good.

The Leitch-inspired goals adopted in November’s pre-Budget report include basic literacy and numeracy skills for 95 per cent of UK adults by 2020, and more than 90 per cent of adults with the equivalent of five GCSEs.

It is undoubtedly important to improve low-level skills, if depressing that it should be necessary despite the best efforts of the state system.

But the tendency to focus on lower-end skills is only half the picture. The sentiment is noble – borne of the notion that it is the government’s responsibility to pick up failures in the public education sector. But the associated view is that high-end skills are the responsibility solely of employers.

To an extent, it is a fair comment. But only to an extent.

The more advanced skills have a disproportionate effect on the productivity and competitiveness that underpins thriving growth, particularly if the UK is to make it as a so-called knowledge economy. And it is that economic success upon which concepts of social justice also rely.

Part of the issue is that IT and the IT sector are still viewed somewhat askance by the mainstream, especially in politics.

Another part is that the contribution to the economy is only just starting to be understood.

It is not a question of straight-up funding but, rather, one of influence. Government is often most effective as an advocate rather than a manager.

Alongside the Skills Pledge, Johnson announced the appointment of KPMG chairman Sir Michael Rake as head of the new Commission for Employment and Skills.

Ostensibly the commission’s role is to work with employers. If Rake can use his reporting line to the new prime minister to ensure government strategies take as much account for high-level skills as literacy and numeracy, he will be doing a good job. After all, it’s the economy, stupid.