I was at a conference this week during which Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester Council, said that 75% of the difference in output between London and Manchester was attributable to the skills gap. That seems an extraordinary statistic. All the more so because it must surely be within our power to do something about it.
During a period when so many young people are struggling to find paid employment it must be possible to identify some of the gaps and start to build the skills amongst the future workforce.
A report by the Sutton Trust implies that we are not maximising the potential of some of the most academically talented pupils. The same must be true of so many different students whose skills are not necessarily academic. We seem to have chosen a middle ground that fails to support practical manual skills or caring, nurturing abilities or brilliant science or artistic insight.
Many clients come to Fredericks later in life when they have gained some insight into what they are good at and what motivates them. There’s nothing to replace the experience of life. But on the other hand it is not Cern science to contemplate that we could undertake more than just academic assessment of our children to help them make the most of their talents, and to help us bridge some of the economic gaps.
Tags: Businessloan, unemployment, whp