The chief executive of NOCN Group, Graham Hasting-Evans, believes that the UK urgently needs a Sustainable Skills System, which is properly funded, agile, and responsive to the needs of the digital and green economy, supporting the implementation of a National Skills Strategy.
He argues that the biggest challenge we face is having a skills system which can sustainably and constantly up-skill the workforce in what is a rapidly changing environment. The present system, according to him, is inadequate to match the needs of the ‘green’ economy, and it needs radical surgery if it is going to support a ‘growth’ economy.
Central Government needs to own the governance of the Skills system, working in collaboration with the devolved governments, employers, and local combined authorities to set the framework, enabling awarding organisations to build training programs, for local provider delivery. Common Occupational Standards are needed, but with modularised provision to allow full-time training or part-time bite-sized provision, and with clear pathways to employment and career development.
The policy changes in the “Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022”, which are welcome, are just not enough and will take too long to implement, he points out. He states that if we do not fix the current “gap in provision and investment” then we are consigning our young people, children and grandchildren to ever decreasing living standards.
In summary, the chief executive of NOCN Group argues that the UK needs a sustainable skills system that can constantly up-skill the workforce in a rapidly changing environment. He suggests that central government should take ownership of the governance of the skills system, working in collaboration with devolved governments, employers, and local combined authorities to set the framework for training programs.
He also suggests the need for common occupational standards and modularized provision to allow full-time training or part-time bite-sized provision, and with clear pathways to employment and career development. He emphasizes that if the current gap in provision and investment is not addressed, future generations will face decreasing living standards. The paper 'Thoughts on a Sustainable Skills System for the UK' outlines these thoughts in more detail.
