Manufacturers discouraged by plans to transfer skills strategy to RDAs

British manufacturers have expressed their concern at reports that responsibility for developing skills strategies is to be transferred to the Regional Development Agencies.

In a statement issued by the EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, Lee Hopley, Head of Economic Policy, was reported as saying: “The skills system has been subject to numerous reviews and revamps over the past decade, failing to provide the greater stability and a skills funding system that meets employers’ needs for the long term. There is already too much complexity, as has been readily acknowledged, and floating ideas for another reorganisation before the new Skills Funding Agency has even been set up needs full and proper consultation.

“With the UK Commission for Employment and Skills currently consulting on skills simplification and the Government proposing a new skills regional agenda, employers are likely to become more frustrated if this process does not deliver a more accessible and predictable skills landscape”.

FinSMEs

15/08/2009

Join the discussion