Member Article

Simplify skills system, says North West business group

The North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT) has urged the Government to overhaul and streamline skills infrastructure across the UK.

In its report, entitled ‘Skills for Industry- Bridging the Divide’, NWBLT said the North West is victim to a severe lack of qualified young people, and suggested a series of reforms to improve skills for North West manufacturing.

NWBLT is made up of some of the regions most influential business heads, including representatives from Ernst & Young LLP, PwC, Unilever, Peel Holdings and several of the region’s top universities.

Proposals made by the group aim to help employers and SMEs identify the best providers to meet their skills needs, through a single signposting body.

This organisation would have either an “overarching alliance”, or would be led by one of the 17 Sector Skills Councils while working alongside UKCES, Ofsted and Ofqual to monitor standards and quality.

NWBLT recommended that any changes made must stay in place for long enough to ensure that “educators and employers are speaking the same language”.

The group’s report also suggested a National Talent Bank pilot scheme should be launched in the manufacturing sector, to increase the profile of apprenticeships and high value manufacturing.

According to NWBLT’s members, this should be taken on by an existing body who would work with a National Apprenticeship Service that is well-linked with schools and colleges.

Juergen Maier, NWBLT Chair and MD of Siemens Industry UK, commented: “Research by the New Economy think tank definitively shows that raising the skills levels of the manufacturing sector alone here in the North West would benefit the UK economy by around £160 million annually or £1.33 billion over ten years in today’s prices.

“The time has come for a one-off “overhaul” of the skills system. The current complexities will not shake themselves out naturally– and certainly not fast enough if left to natural market forces, as currently appears to be the strategy.

“Make no mistake – we need to build a national skills system that is here for the long term. It cannot be acceptable to develop a skills strategy only to change it every two or three years to satisfy short term party political demands or to chase headlines.

“We need stability and a single sign posting body to help deliver this – industry is happy and willing to work with the Government to achieve this goal.”

Mike Blackburn, deputy chairman of NWBLT and North West director for BT, added: “In short, Government locally, nationally and EU-wide has created an overly bureaucratic system and there is too much of a separation between funder, supplier and customer.

“Our proposals seek to empower individuals and businesses to lead the transformation of skills investments at both a national and local level.

“If the details of the report are fully enacted, we believe cities such as Liverpool could cut long term youth employment by half.

“We really can solve the skills and unemployment problems we face if we take bold new steps to restructure the systems that govern labour supply in the United Kingdom.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .