Kelly promises an end to ‘dead end jobs’
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has said that the Government’s Skills White Paper will help ensure an end to ‘dead end jobs’ in the UK.
Launching the white paper, with its headline pledge of free training for all adults to turn Britain into a “high skilled” economy Ms Kelly said that Britain “cannot afford to stand still on skills”.
Pledging an end to “dead-end jobs”, Ms Kelly said that the Government would be investing £1.5 billion over five years to improving the UK’s skill base.
Free and flexible training would be offered to enable all adults to gain at least NVQ level two under a new national employer training programme, she told the Commons.
Ms Kelly explained that employers would take “centre stage” in the new plans and said that ministers would respond to their needs through employer-led skills academies.
Outlining investment commitments, she told MPs that the Government would invest £65 million in 2005-06, on top of the £290 million already allocated.
In addition, two pilot regions to support vocational training at technician, craft and associate professional level skills would receive £40 million over two years.
Ms Kelly announced details of the first four sector skills agreements alongside the white paper, as well as plans to advance partnerships with trade unions by investing £4.5 million to support the TUC proposal for a union academy.
In other commitments, Ms Kelly said ministers would expand the adult learning grant, training for NVQ level two and foundation degrees, with 50,000 places available next year.
However, Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins said that the white paper “lacked substance”.
He noted recent reports suggesting that 50 per cent of firms had difficult in filling skilled positions and said that today’s proposals simply “tinker at the edges” of the problem.
By contrast, Mr Collins said Conservative proposals to make the examination system more robust, simplify further education funding and increase funding for vocational education would “get a grip” on the problem.
