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WESTMINSTER VIEW
SKILLS FOR JOBS WHITE PAPER Last Spring, through Linkedin, I met Chris Greenough the COO of SDE Technology in Shrewsbury. I had been reading about the Made in Midlands initiative and thought that I should learn more. So Chris and I met over a cup of tea in the House of Lords, and he described how SDE had a Training & Skills operation in Bridgnorth, Shropshire. The Marches Centre had an exemplary record, achieving good press and a number of awards. But, due to the COVID-19 impact, as for many training providers, funding was becoming a problem. I agreed to try and help by talking with Ministers, the Prime Minister having recently extolled the virtues and vital importance to the economy of training, re-training and upskilling. In mid-July there was going to be a Debate into the Economy in the House – an ideal opportunity to air Chris’ Bridgnorth problems. At the conclusion of the Debate, on the record, I received an undertaking from the Treasury Minister, Lord Agnew, to connect SDE with his Officials. Months went by and although I had had contact with his Officials at a senior level, absolutely nothing happened. I put Chris in touch with Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, but again that fell on stony ground. Although much was being touted in the Press about the Government’s keenness to improve and extend skills training, apprenticeships, re-skilling and further education, it seemed to me that the money should be invested in just those aspects and not in smart modern bricks and mortar.
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Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, I am convinced that a major key to the Rt. Hon. Earl of the well-being and revival of the Shrewsbury & Talbot DL. UK’s industrial and manufacturing recovery is education, training and apprenticeships. As we hit 5m unemployed on the 26th January, the Government published its White Paper – SKILLS FOR JOBS – to all Party support in both Houses.
Lord Bilimoria, President of the CBI said in response to the Minister, Baroness Berridge “I welcome the Skills for Jobs White Paper... Would the Minister agree that new technologies mean that 9 in 10 employees will need to learn new skills by 2030 ?” He continued “the Government’s commitment to delivering the flexible learner entitlement, boosting access to modular learning, is hugely welcome and will support more adults into training; this should be backed up by turning the apprenticeship levy into a flexible skills levy in the forthcoming Budget.” The Minister replied “He is correct that one of the areas where we lack productivity and we know we have a skills gap is the digital sector... so the Noble Lord is entirely right in relation to that. I will take his suggestion back to the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills.” So let us trust that HMG really do move this matter forward and at speed. I look forward to the Bill reaching our House, when I will be pleased to inform the House of the views of the Membership of AMPS, so please feel free to feed your views in to Richard Teasdale.
