Tackling the skills gap: From classroom to workplace
The CII's pre-election skills manifesto identifies five key policy issues, an incoming government will need to address in order to tackle the UK's skills gap.
The manifesto calls on the next government to significantly improve the transition from education into work by providing each young person with the basic skills grounding required for future success and empowering the next generation to make informed career choices.
The skills manifesto calls for:
• Stable policy frameworks - resist the temptation to continually tinker with skills policy
• Apprenticeships – work to further promote the benefits to employers and potential apprentices
• Build stronger basic skills - improve literacy and numeracy of those leaving our education system
• Improve careers guidance - provide support to develop the careers guidance process for young people.
• Better recognition of professional bodies - make better use of our expertise and experience
Daniel Pedley, public affairs manager at the CII said: "Improving skills capabilities will be one of the challenges facing an incoming government. Tackling this will require better preparation of young people for entry into the workplace. The CII’s skills manifesto highlights how smoothing the transition from classroom to workplace will require those leaving education to have stronger basic skills, access to quality vocational and academic pathways and a greater awareness of career options open to them.
"As a professional body, the CII has a proven record of providing employers with the standards and exams they want and trust. Policy makers should look to utilise this expertise and look upon professional bodies as willing partners. Significantly we exist at no cost to the exchequer."
View the skills manifesto here.
