text: Productivity plan fatally undermined by weak skills strategy - Press Releases - CIPD
  Productivity plan fatally undermined by weak skills strategy
  The government's plan to boost the UK's productivity risks being fatally undermined unless more is done to address the country's skills challenges, according to the CIPD (the professional body for HR and people development). Responding to today's Productivity Plan (Fixing the foundations: creating a more prosperous nation), Ben Willmott, CIPD Head of Public Policy, comments: "Proposals in today's productivity plan to increase the number and quality of apprenticeships and simplify and streamline the professional and technical education system are of course welcome, but only scratch the surface on solving the skills part of the UK's productivity problem.
  The CIPD believes that solving these problems requires a team effort involving government working closely with businesses, particularly SMEs, which are responsible for 60% of private sector employment in the UK. Willmott continues: "We welcome today's announcement that Sir Charlie Mayfield will be leading a drive among large employers to boost workplace productivity but there needs to be much greater emphasis on the provision of high-quality low or no cost support, advice and guidance to help small businesses improve their people management and skills development capability and recognise the value of workforce investment. They also need help to access available public skills funding and high quality training to get the most from their people and grow."
  "The new locally oriented Business Growth Hubs provide an ideal means to deliver this type of support if they are given some limited additional investment and encouragement from government. "It is also crucial that the government protects the adult skills budget from any further cuts as the UK's ageing working population and rapid changes to working practices created by technology will increasingly require people in the labour market to train to keep their skills up-to-date and relevant to the changing requirements of employers."