Your chance to influence the Government's skills strategy

The Government has published its long-awaited Skills Strategy White Paper, designed to help build 'a new skills alliance where every employer, employee and citizen plays their part'.

The strategy:

  • gives employers greater choice and control over the training they receive and the way it is delivered;

  • removes the age threshold for the funding of Modern Apprenticeships; and

  • introduces greater flexibility to enable employers to customise training units for different qualifications without losing the entitlement to funding.

    Additionally, a new national Skills Alliance will be formed, linking the Government, the CBI, the TUC and the Small Business Council, and the network of Sector Skills Councils will be expanded.

    Employers are invited to submit comments and views on the skills strategy, to be received by 31 October 2003.

  • Skills Strategy White Paper   Read the full text of the White Paper, as published on the official Department for Education and Skills website.

  • Skills strategy a step towards boosting productivity  and Skills Strategy must be translated into practice   Personnel Today's Michael Millar and Quentin Reade round up initial reactions to the White Paper.

  • Government seeks "skills alliance"   IRS Employment Review analyses the White Paper.

  • Employers await skills strategy   Immediately before the publication of the White Paper, Personnel Today's Ben Willmott and Ross Wigham canvassed employers' current experience of skills shortages, and their expectations for the skills strategy.

    Also

    Direct line to skills   Writing in Training Magazine, Margaret Kubicek unravels the implications of the White Paper for employers.

    Skills agenda under pressure?   Writing in Training Magazine, Elaine Essery profiles the skills agenda for 2003.

    Sector Skills Councils   HR & Compliance Centre's employment reference manual provides essential guidance on SSCs.