Lord Mandelson unveiled the UK Government's new skills white paper, Skills for Growth, earlier this week. Mandelson stressed that the strategy would 'put further education where it belongs.at the heart of future prosperity'. Progress in expanding access and improving quality of further education would be sustained, he said, but difficult choices would also be made over where to refocus constrained public resources.

A key aim of the paper is to boost higher level skills in priority industries such as the low carbon sector, high end manufacturing, biotechnology and digital business. Advanced apprenticeships will be significantly expanded, with up to 35,000 new advanced and higher level apprenticeships beginning over the next two years, with the possibility of further expansion in subsequent years.

Providing an initial comment on the release of the Government's White Paper, Skills for Growth - the National Skills Strategy, Head of Corporate Affairs for City & Guilds Andrew Sich said:
'City & Guilds fully supports the aspirations of the Government's White Paper, which puts vocational education at the top of the skills agenda and the learner at the heart of our future prosperity. We especially welcome the introduction of individual learner skills accounts and increased investment in advanced apprenticeships and the careers advice service, initiatives we have been actively pushing in our for the past 18 months.'

Skills Accounts
'City & Guilds has been actively lobbying for the introduction of the individual learner skills accounts for many years in the City & Guilds Manifesto for Skills. We believe a greater proportion of public spending should not just follow the learner, but should be led by the learner.

The only way to build a truly personalised system of learning is to place funding and control of choices firmly in the hands of individuals and to equip them to make the choices that are right for them, within a framework established by government. Only then can we move towards a demand-led system of skills funding, where providers respond to the needs of individuals.

Having said that - there would have to be some assurance for colleges and other bodies on the supply side that they can invest with confidence in developing learning programmes and associated resources that are to industry standard. Equally it would be necessary to protect some provision for strategic reasons and not rely solely on the market and consumer choice.'

Advanced apprenticeships
'City & Guilds strongly supports the expansion of advanced apprenticeships and the move to open this initiative up to the 19-30 age group in September. However, with an ageing population and an urgent need to raise the level of technical skills in the UK, we believe funding, channeled through employers, should be made available for anyone - irrespective of age.

For learners, apprenticeships offer an opportunity to gain practical on-the-job experience and a chance to earn as they train. For employers, they create the skilled, professional and highly motivate workforce that will give them a competitive edge. To protect the strength of its brand, Apprenticeships should be restricted to level 3 and reserved for programmes largely delivered in the workplace.  There is already a range of excellent vocational provision available at level 2 to learners of all ages.'

Adult Advancement and Careers Service
'An initiative so often overlooked by Government, we are encouraged to see the emphasis the Skills Strategy places on the Adult Advancement and Careers Service. According a City & Guilds survey conducted last year, a legacy of stop-start and inadequate careers advice has left one in five of us needing to retrain or re-skill as they have made an inadequately informed choice. The economic downturn has compounded this further as employees need to adapt their skills to the changing needs of businesses and the labour market.

To meet the needs of the economy and our workforce, future careers advice needs to do three things. First, it must be a truly lifelong service. Second, advice should match people's own ambitions with employer needs. And third, we need careers advice people can turn to whatever their circumstances. We must not stigmatise careers advice by suggesting it is only for certain groups, like those out of work.

Without high quality careers advice, provided by well-informed organisations able to tailor their support to individual needs and reflect expertly on the way the economy's skill demands are developing, the population will be less well-prepared to adapt than the country needs them to be.'

Penny de Valk, Chief Executive of the Institute of Leadership and Management, also commented:

'ILM welcomes the Government's commitment to driving up leadership and management skills as a means to raising the UK's competitiveness. There is robust evidence that good leadership and management holds the key to stronger organisational performance, and wider social and economic prosperity, by engaging employees and making fuller use of their skills and potential.

'ILM believe this will be best achieved by a focus on supporting employers with flexible and relevant qualifications that can be easily tailored to meet their exact leadership and management development needs at all levels. We look forward to continuing our key role in realising a more skilled and qualified UK management population.'

-ENDS-

To arrange an interview, additional comment or a copy of our Manifesto for Skills, please contact:
Phillipa Thomas, Public Relations
T: +44 (0) 20 7294 3437  
e: phillipa.thomas@cityandguilds.com