Introduction
Overview of the Leitch report
In 2004, Lord Leitch was asked by the Westminster Government to consider what the UK’s long term ambition should be for developing skills, in order to maximise economic prosperity and productivity and to improve social justice. There is consensus that we need to be much more ambitious in the UK and a clear message that the UK must ‘raise its game’, urgently.
• The UK has a lot of important strengths – an excellent higher education system where more people than ever are studying for degrees; good reforms on vocational training; an increasingly effective school system; and a strong record of improvement over the past decade.
• But, the UK also has considerable weaknesses: more than one third of adults do not hold the equivalent of a basic school-leaving qualification. Almost half of adults are not functionally numerate and one sixth is not functionally literate. This is worse than our principal comparator nations. Improving our schools will not solve these problems. Today over 70 per cent of our 2020 workforce has already completed their compulsory education. Our intermediate and technical skills lag countries such as Germany and France.
• UK has made progress expanding Higher Education – and this is critical to becoming a high-skill economy. Over one quarter of adults hold a degree, but this is less than many other countries who also invest more. UK skills base compares poorly and, critically, other countries are improving.
Why it was commissioned and the main outcomes
The global economy is changing rapidly, with emerging economies such as India and China growing dramatically, altering UK competitiveness. The population is ageing, technological change and global migration flows are increasing. There is a direct correlation between skills, productivity and employment.
Unless the UK can build on reforms to schools, colleges and universities and make its skills base one of its strengths, UK businesses will find it increasingly difficult to compete. As a result of low skills, the UK risks increasing inequality, deprivation and child poverty, and risks a generation cut off permanently from labour market opportunity. The best form of welfare is to ensure that people can adapt to change. Skills were once a key lever for prosperity and fairness. Skills are now increasingly the key lever. A radical step-change is necessary.
A compelling vision for the UK.
The Review recommends that the UK commit to becoming a world leader in skills by 2020, benchmarked against the upper quartile of the OECD. This means doubling attainment at most levels. Stretching objectives for 2020 include*:
• 95 per cent of adults to achieve the basic skills of functional literacy and numeracy, an increase from levels of 85 per cent literacy and 79 per cent numeracy in 2005;
• exceeding 90 per cent of adults qualified to at least Level 2, an increase from 69 per cent in 2005. A commitment to go further and achieve 95 per cent as soon as possible;
• shifting the balance of intermediate skills from Level 2 to Level 3. Improving the esteem, quantity and quality of intermediate skills. This means 1.9 million additional Level 3 attainments over the period and boosting the number of
Apprentices to 500,000 a year;
• exceeding 40 per cent of adults qualified to Level 4 and above, up from 29 per cent in 2005, with a commitment to continue progression. Principles. The following principles underpin delivery of a raised ambition:
• shared responsibility.
• focus on economically valuable skills.
What and where are the skill gaps?
What do we mean by skills?
Skills are capabilities and expertise in a particular occupation or activity. There are a large number of different types of skills and they can be split into a number of different categories. Basic skills, such as literacy and numeracy, and generic skills, such as team working and communication, are applicable in most jobs. Specific skills tend to be less transferable between occupations. Most occupations use a mix of different types of skills.
The most common measures of skills are qualifications. On the job training in the workplace is a vital source of skills development and career progression. The Review recognises the importance of looking at these wider definitions of skills. For individuals, they provide portability in the labour market, allowing them to demonstrate the skills they have acquired. For employers, they provide valuable signals when recruiting new workers and also motivate employees to complete their training. Qualifications form a major part of employer recruitment strategies, especially screening candidates prior to interview. As a result, the majority of individuals prefer studying towards a qualificationa and over one half of employers say they would like to support their employees to gain qualifications through staff training.
Qualifications can be grouped into five different levels: full level 2 equates to 5 good GCSEs or their vocational equivalents, full level 3 to two or more A Levels and level 4 and above to degree level qualifications. Levels of literacy and numeracy tend to be based on surveys or on the proportion of the workforce with English or Maths qualifications.
Talk about the skill gaps identified in the Leitch review
How UK can overcome it?
Why?
Name some of the programs/Initiatives been done
Whether it has been successful/not with proven evidence