Launch of skills revolution

24 Mar 05
People will no longer languish in 'dead-end' jobs, the education secretary promised this week as she unveiled plans to extend skills training across the entire workforce.

25 March 2005

People will no longer languish in 'dead-end' jobs, the education secretary promised this week as she unveiled plans to extend skills training across the entire workforce.

The skills white paper promises free and flexible vocational training for workers either on the job or at their local college. Some £40m is also being made available to fund pilots supporting high-level vocational training in technical and craft areas such as engineering and joinery.

Launching the paper on March 22, Education and Skills Secretary Ruth Kelly said too many British adults lacked the basic literacy and numeracy skills employers demand.

'We need to tackle this and go even further to support more adults in achieving the higher end qualifications our economy needs to compete with the best,' she said.

Both employers and unions supported the white paper, agreeing it was time for a 'skills revolution' in the UK.

CBI director general Sir Digby Jones said: 'If everyone in the UK improved their skill-base by one level, the poorest person in the country would get richer.'

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber added that unions would take a major role in driving the skills agenda forward.

PFmar2005

Did you enjoy this article?

AddToAny

Top