PRESS RELEASE

18th April 2008

"Get on the Skills Train" urges NW Skills Champion "Or risk getting left behind"

That's the message coming from the NW Workforce Development Forum Chairman, John Spangler.

John, who heads up Seagate Technology in the city, chairs the regions cross border Workforce Development Forum. The Forum is made up of employers, training providers and a range of statutory bodies from both sides of the border and its goal is to ensure that the NW region has a good pipeline of people, with the right skills, in order to serve current and future needs.

John said today, "The North West has a lot going for it in the people stakes. For a start it has one of the highest numbers of young people coming through in the UK - most other places have an aging population. We have our cross border location which doubles our access to labour. We have three good 3rd level colleges of education on our doorstep all of whom have indicated a willingness to deliver specific courses tailored to industry needs. John continued, "However there are definitely challenges to be addressed. Significant numbers of our working age population have no qualifications at all. We need to raise the numbers that are educated to NVQ level 3 at least and we need to increase the numbers of our young people that are educated to degree level."

Janice Tracey, who represents employers on the Forum said "This is an issue which must be addressed if the NW is to move forward with a workforce that is fit for purpose. The people of the NW, both those in employment and those seeking employment now and in the future, need to be sure that the training they are receiving meets the needs of employers and also that their current and future employers are fully committed to a process of ongoing learning."

The WDF boss went on to talk about skills development in the workforce. John continued, "One question that dominates any debate on skills needs and workforce development is: Are employers really committed to training and development? Are they willing to invest in their people? And the answer is not always a positive one. The Institutes and University indicate that the problem is not with supply and there is availability of a wide range of training courses available or could be made available if there was a demand. "John Spangler recognises that training and skills development is an expensive business, especially for the small business but urges employers to recognise the expense of NOT having the right people with the right skills. He urged, "In business whether it's a small business or a large one, we have to find the solutions ourselves. We can't always look to government for help. We need to get on the skills train or get left behind in the station"

Mr Spangler concluded, "We are working very closely with all our partners to identify key sectors in which we can make a difference to skill levels. Sectors that are important to the NW and that have potential for growth are obviously Financial Services, Construction, ICT, and Tourism and we'd like to engage with industry leaders in these sectors to ensure that we get the right information on which to move forward."

Ends

For further information please contact Janice Tracey 028 71262379