Leitch report - London’s skills shortages
11/07/2007 | Posted by John Smith in Chronic shortage of skills in the UK
A CBI report last summer, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills, revealed that one in three firms sends staff for remedial literacy and numeracy lessons. By 2020 the number of unskilled jobs in the UK will fall from 3.4m today to 600,000 according to the Leitch Review of skills.
Three-quarters (74%) of firms which responded to the Survey reported problems finding skilled staff, up from three-fifths (61%) a year ago and half (49%) in January 2005. Four-fifths (81%) of the capital’s employers expect to encounter further shortages over the next six months.
Tackling education shortcomings in the capital should top the agenda of both government and the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, with a twin focus on developing higher level skills and on addressing unemployment, the business leaders said.
Richard Lambert, CBI Director-General, said: “London is one of the world’s most dynamic and successful cities and is going from strength to strength, with business positive about the future.”
“However it will shock many to discover that the city has the highest unemployment rate of any region in the UK while, at the same time, employers are increasingly struggling to fill skilled job vacancies.”
Source: CBI Press Release