Skills Policies (Hansard, 25 February 2002)

§ John Healey

[holding answer 14 February 2002]My Department has a wide range of policies designed to improve the UK's skills base. There are four key elements to our strategy for achieving a high skills, high value added economy. They are to:

strengthen the links between learning and employment;
create excellence in vocational learning;
work with employers to boost skills and productivity;
promote the adult basic skills strategy.

We will strengthen the links between what people learn and the jobs they will have in future. We will extend the Connexions Service to all parts of England by 2003, and we are investing £5.5 billion in the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) budget to encourage greater participation and attainment in learning. We are addressing the under-representation of certain groups in Higher Education (HE) and have developed initiatives to widen participation and equip the country with the high level skills that will be needed in the 21st century. By 2010, I want to ensure that young people and adults in England have knowledge and productive skills that match the best in the world. We will use the new Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) to identify and 744W anticipate sector skills needs, building an effective employer network to reduce skills gaps and to improve productivity and performance.

The vocational ladder will offer young people wanting to follow programmes of vocational study a clear set of routes that will allow them to progress to further and higher study, as well as being relevant to work. We are putting in place a new generation of Modern Apprenticeships, forming part of a coherent vocational learning system from age 14 which meets the needs of the individual, is broader and more coherent than before, and offers greater opportunities for progression. We have introduced—and will be developing—Foundation Degrees, Graduate Apprenticeships and Centres of Vocational Excellence. The Green Paper "14-19: Extending Opportunities, Raising Standards" published 12 February 2002 sets out proposals designed to enable all pupils to fulfil their potential, and put an end to the waste of young talent in this country.

We are working with employers to boost competitiveness and productivity by giving everyone the chance to develop their skills and realise their potential. We are promoting Investors in People and Learndirect, we are reviewing ICT qualifications and actively encouraging links between SSCs, the LSC and all those organisations who have a role in identifying and delivering the skills the UK needs.

'Skills for Life', the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy, was launched on 1 March 2001. By 2004, I aim to have reduced by at least 750,000 the number of adults who have difficulties with literacy or numeracy. My policies are designed to increase demand for basic skills courses and reduce barriers to learning so that those needing to improve their skills feel empowered to take up learning and are helped to succeed.