1 Introduction
1. The Committee announced its inquiry into post-16
skills on 30 November 2006, with the intention of considering
the following key areas of skills policy:
- The underpinning principles
of the Government's Skills Strategy to date—especially,
the focus on training up to full 'level two'.
- The recommendations of Lord Sandy Leitch's report
for the Treasury and how these should be taken forward.
- Supply-side issues: what were the typical experiences
of those looking for skills training?
- The development of a so-called 'demand-led' system
for skills.
We have received a considerable volume of evidence.
Witnesses included:
- Professor Ewart Keep, University
of Cardiff; Alan Wells, formerly of the Basic Skills Agency; Professor
Lorna Unwin, Institute of Education;
- Liz Smith, Unionlearn; Hayley Pickles, USDAW;
Ellie Russell, NUS; Clinton Ritchie, Lewisham College; Kenneth
Aitchison, Prospect;
- Ms Clare Morley, Association of Accounting Technicians;
Mr John Philpott, Chartered Institute of Personnel Development;
- Graham Moore, 157 Group; Mariane Cavalli, Croydon
College; John Stone, Learning and Skills Network; Gareth Parry
and David Knight, Remploy; Duncan Shrubsole, and Richard Pace,
Crisis;
- Dinah Caine, Skillset; Linda Florance, Skillfast-UK;
Brian Wisdom, People 1st;
- Chris Humphries, City and Guilds; Isabel Sutcliffe,
Edexcel; Greg Watson, OCR; John McNamara, British Institute of
Innkeeping; Alan Stevenson, Food and Drink Qualifications;
- Dan Wright, Protocol Skills and Training; Simon
Withey, VT Education and Skills;
- Steven Broomhead, North West Regional Development
Agency; John Korzeniewski, North West Learning and Skills Council;
Professor Frank Coffield, Institute of Education; Lee Hopley,
EEF; and
- Ian Finney, Concept Mouldings Ltd; Diane Johnson,
Eric Johnson of Northwich Ltd.
In addition, we received over 50 memoranda which
have helped us with our inquiry.
2. On 26 June 2007, the new Prime Minister,
Gordon Brown MP, announced that the Department for Education and
Skills would be replaced by two successor Departments, the Department
for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department for
Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). As a result, this
Committee is to be dissolved and its active inquiries will fall
into abeyance. We have therefore decided to publish a short summary
report outlining our key findings and conclusions to date. We
comment on two main areas: firstly, the skills 'system' as it
is currently experienced by users—e.g., employers, employees,
individuals and communities; secondly, the key underlying principles
of current policy—in particular:
- the Government's understanding
of the link between skills and improved prosperity;
- Moves to make skills provision more 'demand-led';
- The priority being placed on employer responsiveness,
and the mechanisms being used to achieve this—such as Train
to Gain and Sector Skills Councils.
3. We would like to extend our thanks to our three
Specialist Advisers to this inquiry— Professor Ewart Keep,
University of Cardiff, Chris Hughes CBE, formerly Chief Executive
of the Learning and Skills Development Agency, and Professor Alison
Wolf, King's College, London. We are also very grateful to the
National Audit Office for their assistance in producing a series
of detailed skills 'maps' illustrating the complex structure
of the post-16 skills sector.
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