BUSINESSES HAVE GIVEN THEIR VERDICT ON SKILLS

13/10/2006

Chambers of Commerce North West, comprising 16 local Chambers working together on behalf of businesses in the region, published today the results of a recent business survey on skills.

Commenting on the findings, Colin Daniels, Chief Executive of the Warrington Chamber said: "The current acute skills shortages within the economy are the result of a ‘cycle of failings' within our education and training system. The failings originate in schools and continue through to further education colleges, universities and adult skills development. The result is that businesses are forced to recruit people without basic skills and employers can't find people trained with higher-level vocational skills.

“Young people must have good basic skills before they enter employment. It is not the role of the employer to teach basic skills but the role of the education system”, commented Colin Daniels.

“Parts of our education system still seem to be provider-led rather than customer-led. In the business world that would be commercial disaster. In the education world that is a waste of public money and a recipe, ultimately, for a less skilled and less well-educated workforce. Radical solutions are needed that place businesses at the heart of the skills agenda. Employers now must be given a greater role in the design of vocational qualifications, and identifying skills and training needs”.

“There are far too many Government agencies and institutions who maintain that they know best about how to take forward this agenda. Yet year on year we see our employers reporting difficulties finding the right staff. We need a comprehensive review of the plethora of agencies and bodies involved in the skills arena. The number of public sector agencies involved in skills development must be reduced and streamlined.

“Young people need education and training. They should not have to be faced with a choice of education or training.”

To download a copy of the Skills Survey click here.