Skillstories

UK maths failures ‘cost £2.4bn’

Children who are bad at maths at school end up costing the taxpayer up to £2.4bn a year, a report published by KPMG suggests.

Firms urged ‘try to keep staff’

Redundancies should be a “last resort” as firms trim costs in the economic downturn, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says.

Record number of adults gain vocational qualifications

A record number of adults gained vocational qualifications in the academic year 2007-8, according to new ONS figures published on 18 Dec. DIUS announced that 299,000 adults achieved a full level 2 qualification in 2007/08 compared with only 72,800 adults in 2002/03.

DIUS capability review: Supporting the economy, investing in future prosperity

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), the first wholly new Department for nearly 20 years, made a strong start in its first 18 months, according to a Cabinet Office Capability Review published today. The report details findings of an independent external review team that assessed the performance of DIUS on strategy, leadership and delivery and progress on its mission to support prosperity and economic resilience.

Brits Look to Training as Going Gets Tough

A new survey, conducted on behalf of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), shows that over half the country’s workers (57 per cent) are worried about their job prospects as a result of the current economic crisis

Queen’s Speech announces creation of Skills Funding Agency (SFA) to replace LSC.

The Queen’s Speech announced a Bill to create a Skills Funding Agency (SFA) to replace the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The SFA will make training more flexible and employer demand-led so that employers continue to invest in the skills that will help them not just to survive the economic downturn, but to emerge more competitive when business picks up again. To keep up to date with the latest developments at: www.dius.gov.uk/business The SFA will also continue the Train to Gain service - find out how it can help you by visiting www.traintogain.gov.uk.

Employers Innovate to Reduce Job Losses

Richard Milne examines how companies are taking a more considered, innovate approach to cost cutting during the downturn, including a realisation that the fight for talent will be one of the biggest challenges in the future.

Discontent at Workforce Reforms

Business hit out at the “extremely disappointing” raft of proposed employment legislation unveiled yesterday, including measures that could force employers to disclose information on their workforce, new flexible working rights for 4.5m staff and new rights to request training for millions more employees.

The most obviously contentious element in a new equality bill is “positive action” - a proposal to allow employers to choose between two “equally suitable” candidates on the basis of gender or race. The proposed legislation will also ban “secrecy clauses” that bar staff from disclosing their pay.

5 Millionth Learner Covered by the Skills Pledge

Parcel courier James Ford has become the five millionth employee in the country to benefit from the Skills Pledge campaign to skill up the nation after his employer, the world’s biggest delivery company DHL Express, made a commitment to train its 9,000-strong workforce. DHL Express also wishes to offer a skills for life programme for those employees who would benefit from development in basic English and Maths.

Government Publishes its Response to ‘Planning Matters - Labour Shortages and Skills Gaps’

The Government has now published its response (Cm 7495) to the Communities and Local Government and Select Committee’s report Planning matters - labour shortages and skills gaps published.