Select Committee on Education and Employment Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence


APPENDIX 13

Memorandum from AOC Northern Region (JG 19)

Two issues that the Northern Region AoC would like to draw to your attention are as follows:

    (i)  The need for significant investment to allow colleges to have the infrastructure needed to address new and changing skill demands, particularly in areas where the previous main industries have been heavy (engineering, mining etc) and where the growth in new jobs are in the service sector eg call centres. There is considerable need for infrastructure development and current funding makes it relatively difficult for individual colleges to make such investments.

    However, within the Northern Region there have been several examples of joint infrastructure development and should the Committee find details of these useful I would be happy to oblige.

    (ii)  In relation to jobs gaps for example in the Tees Valley a number of issues exist which contribute to this:

      —  travel to work not easy down Tees Valley;

      —  lack of entrepreneurs;

      —  engineering heritage versus training for service industry;

      —  lack of service areas eg few cultural and media opportunities;

      —  very limited travel industry.

Ian Todd
Acting Secretary, Northern Region AoC

October 1999


 
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