Manufacturers welcome strategy for high level skills
Release date: 14/04/2008
EEF Northern, the manufacturers’ organisation welcomed today’s Higher Education strategy as an important recognition of the need to improve both the supply of high level qualifications and the personal skills needed for success in the modern world of work.
However, EEF Northern expressed concern that there were no new policy announcements and expressed concern that government’s encouraging words in so many areas of education and skills were taking time to see firm action.
Commenting, Alan Hall, EEF Northern Director, said:
“We at, EEF Northern, recently completed a major piece of regional research with our North East members on this whole issue of higher level skills, we did this work in response to the very seriousness nature of the skills shortages being experienced by our members. So this news comes as a welcome shift away from targets for targets sake, towards producing highly qualified people who also carry the skills to make them employable. As in so many other areas of policy we now need to see encouraging words turned into firm delivery.
“The need for an increase in the number of people with high level skills is acute in sectors such as engineering and manufacturing which are suffering from a shortage of people with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. Simply sending more people through higher education is not enough if they do not have the skills that employers need.
“Employers see strong skills in communication, teamwork, leadership and business acumen as key attributes. As such, EEF supports the greater focus on employability and the responsibility of Universities to deliver this. This will be vital if our 5 regional Universities are to help deliver on the government’s innovation and enterprise agendas which business and industry strongly supports.”
Notes for editors
For more information contact Jenny Russell 0191 4165656 jenniferrussell@eefnorthern.org.uk
EEF Northern has more than 500 member companies in the North of England and provides the most cost effective legal, employment law, employee relations and HS&E advice and training in the UK.
EEF Northern employs teams of HR and employment specialists and has access to more than 60 lawyers and barristers to help its members understand the issues associated with the ever increasing introduction of legislation and regulation.
Membership of EEF Northern gives immediate unlimited access to the team of specialists - including the largest specialist employment law team in the UK, which provides professional no-nonsense advice and guidance either by telephone or in person.
In addition, EEF represents the interests of its members at UK Government, European and international level, and can provide advice and support on issues and legislation that can affect almost every aspect of business.
Visit www.eef.org.uk/northern for further information.