UK skills policy
Article Type: Research news From: Education + Training, Volume 51, Issue 3
A report published by UKs Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee takes a critical overview of the impact of policy, post Leitch report,and assesses how the UK, and more specifically England, can move towards achieving the ambitious targets within a tight timescale. It does so in the context of the current economic climate which is very different from that in which Lord Leitch conducted the review, and should place skills development right at the top of the political and employment agenda.
It concludes that as the UK comes out of recession, people will be needed who can pick up the new range of jobs which emerge at that time. An emphasis on reskilling is therefore “vital”. The report calls on the Government to ensure the success of its skills agenda through clear communication of its vision and through practical measures to enable employers and individuals to recognise and reap the benefits of higher levels of skills.
This report is a collective view from the dozen or so MPs who make up the IUSS Committee. It carries influence and has high expectations of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, but there should be no assumption that its recommendations for action will be accepted by Government. DIUS will consider the report and then make a formal response in a few months’ time. The UK Commission expects to be heavily involved in the discussions over that response.
The report is available at: www.ukces.org.uk/pdf/090116%20-% 20IUSS%20Committee%20-%20Reskilling%20for%20recovery.pdf
Research from the ESRC’s Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) suggests the emergence of two divergent “strategic paths” or skills policy in England and Scotland following the recent Leitch Review of Skills. Whereas English policy makers are focused narrowly on boosting skills supply and matching overseas levels of qualification stocks, their Scottish counterparts are increasingly stressing the need for skills to be utilised effectively at work and are looking to integrate skills policy within a wider business improvement, innovation and economic development agenda. Skope’s Issues paper 18, by Jonathan Payne, looks at the factors that have led Scotland to embark upon a new type of skills strategy and asks whether this may serve to challenge the prevailing policy consensus in England about how to tackle the“skills problem”.
Issues Paper 18 is available at www.skope.ox.ac.uk/WorkingPapers/Issues% 20paper18.pdf
For a more detailed exploration of these issues see J. Payne (2008) “Divergent skills policy trajectories in England and Scotland after Leitch”, SKOPE Working Paper, No. 82.
