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Why is skills provision important?
In December 2006 Lord Leitch published his review of long-term skills needs, Prosperity for all in the Global Economy: World Class Skills.
His statistics, as mentioned already, paint a bleak picture of current skills provision.
The bottom line, the UK is lagging behind other countries. Out of the 30 OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) member countries, the UK lies 17th on low skills, 20th on intermediate skills and 11th on high skills. The UK economy is growing, but at present, the workforce does not possess the necessary skills to exploit its potential.
As Leitch says, low skill levels can hold back productivity and growth and, if not addressed, will result in increasing inequality and the marginalisation of some groups within the labour market.
“Without increased skills, we would condemn ourselves to a lingering decline in competitiveness, diminishing economic growth, and a bleaker future for all. The case for action is compelling and urgent. Becoming a world leader on skills will enable the UK to compete with the best in the world. I am optimistic.”
Lord Leitch believes that skills attainment can be increased so that by 2020:
- 95% of working age adults have basic skills in functional literacy and numeracy (2005: literacy 85%, numeracy 79%)
- more than 90% of adults are skilled to GCSE level or to vocational equivalents ( 2005: 69%)
- more than 40% of adults are skilled to graduate level and above (2005: 29%).
Find out more
Follow the links below to find out more about the sector, skills and the role of SkillsActive:
