HC Deb 25 February 2003 vol 400 cc469-70W
Mr. Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the skill shortages experienced by employers in England; [96728]

(2) what assessment he has made of the skill shortages experienced by employers of (a) mechanics, (b) plumbers, (c) electricians and (d) builders in England[96769]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

My Department has funded a number of surveys of employers to assess their current and future skill needs, and also monitors a number of external measures of skills shortages such as those coming from the CBI's Quarterly Industrial Trends Survey.

The Employers Skill Survey, funded by my Department, interviewed 27,000 employers across England in 1999 and in 2001, and was carried out on a smaller scale in 2002. The survey results provide evidence on trends in skill shortages, including headline measures for broad industries and occupations.

Our own surveys, and the CBI measures, indicate that skills shortages are relatively low and stable given the historically high levels of employment we are experiencing. However, the Employers Skill Survey results do show that skilled craft trades are among the occupations most affected by skill shortage vacancies, and also that the construction industry experiences one of the highest levels of skill shortage vacancies relative to its employment levels.

The Skills in England report, published earlier this month by the Learning and Skills Council, also stresses that the construction sector has the most severe skills shortages (as a percentage of employment). The health and social care sector also suffers from a disproportionately high share of skill shortage vacancies. Occupationally associate professionals and skilled trades have the greatest share of skill shortages.

Detailed information on specific occupations is not collected by the Department. It is the role of the Skills for Business network (the Sector Skills Development Agency and the Sector Skills Councils) and the two Industry Training Boards to assess detailed skill needs within their particular industries.