Chamber comments on Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth

The government has today released plans which will place employers at the heart of future post-16 skills and education strategies, ensuring that training providers and colleges will be able to respond to the needs of industry.

Policy paper: Skills for jobs: lifelong learning for opportunity and growth This white paper sets out reforms to post-16 technical education and training to support people to develop the skills needed to get good jobs and improve national productivity

Nick Garthwaite, Chair of West & North Yorkshire Chamber said, “The Chamber welcomes this white paper, which acknowledges the important need to hear from employers about their current and future skills needs. We know that many firms don’t have a skills strategy and many often struggle to articulate their needs in ways which inform training providers and so end up being made to choose from what is ‘already on the shelf’.

“It is also great to see the acknowledgement of the role Chambers play in supporting their regional business communities and that there is a bigger role in working with colleges, training providers, businesses and regional policy makers as we look to rebuild our economy. We believe strongly that having a functioning and regional employer led post-16 skills and education system will help companies to develop the skills needed to grasp future opportunities, to adapt to new working practices and ultimately to thrive in a post-pandemic economy.”