Leitch skills targets branded “wishful thinking” by CBI
By Martin Kornacki (09-02-2010)
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Government skills targets have been branded “wishful thinking” by the head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
Richard Lambert (pictured), the director general of the CBI, says that the ambitions set out in the government commissioned Leitch report - that the UK should be in the upper quartile of OECD countries for skills by 2020 - are currently unattainable.
Speaking to delegates at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) Skills, Jobs, Growth convention Lambert said the global skills challenge had changed beyond recognition as a result of both economic and social factors.
Lord Leitch was commissioned by the government in 2004 to identify the UK’s optimal skills mix in 2020 to maximise economic growth, productivity and social justice. His review formed the basis of the Labour party's skills policy in recent years.
In his report Leitch recommended that the UK should aim to be a world leader on skills by 2020 and in the upper quartile of OECD countries by increasing the numbers of people with basic, mid-level and advanced skills.
“Those ambitions to be in the upper quartile in all three categories are now wishful thinking,” said Lambert.
He pointed out that 16 per cent of young people in the UK leave school without any qualifications - a figure that is significantly higher than the OECD average.
And with public spending likely to be cut he gave a bleak forecast for the nations ability to achieve the necessary improvement in skills to attain the 2020 targets.
“Universities have already felt the first blasts of cold winds and I fear there is more of the same to come,” he concluded.
The CBI is a not for profit organisation that lobbies government on behalf of around 200,000 businesses including the majority of FTSE 100 companies.
Richard Lambert (pictured), the director general of the CBI, says that the ambitions set out in the government commissioned Leitch report - that the UK should be in the upper quartile of OECD countries for skills by 2020 - are currently unattainable.
Speaking to delegates at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) Skills, Jobs, Growth convention Lambert said the global skills challenge had changed beyond recognition as a result of both economic and social factors.
Lord Leitch was commissioned by the government in 2004 to identify the UK’s optimal skills mix in 2020 to maximise economic growth, productivity and social justice. His review formed the basis of the Labour party's skills policy in recent years.
In his report Leitch recommended that the UK should aim to be a world leader on skills by 2020 and in the upper quartile of OECD countries by increasing the numbers of people with basic, mid-level and advanced skills.
“Those ambitions to be in the upper quartile in all three categories are now wishful thinking,” said Lambert.
He pointed out that 16 per cent of young people in the UK leave school without any qualifications - a figure that is significantly higher than the OECD average.
And with public spending likely to be cut he gave a bleak forecast for the nations ability to achieve the necessary improvement in skills to attain the 2020 targets.
“Universities have already felt the first blasts of cold winds and I fear there is more of the same to come,” he concluded.
The CBI is a not for profit organisation that lobbies government on behalf of around 200,000 businesses including the majority of FTSE 100 companies.
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