A National Conversation on Helping Low-Skilled Workers

The Center for Law and Social Policy recently launched, Opportunity at Work: Creating Better Jobs for a Stronger Economy. The Opportunity at Work initiative will promote a national conversation on creating economic mobility and employment security for America’s low-wage workers.

The conversation will highlight several national issues including: legislative efforts to improve job quality, state and local policies that address skill shortages and declining wages and value-added activities that upgrade low-skill occupations to middle class jobs. Opportunity at Work will also use several modes of communication including webinars to facilitate this national conversation.

For more information visit: http://www.clasp.org/publications/opportunity_at_work_announcement_print.pdf

***

Why skills are the new education

By Mike Baker
Education correspondent, BBC News

The Leitch report highlighted the skills crisis facing the UK
"It’s the economy, stupid" is one of the blunter sayings from American politics.

Full Story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6162299.stm

***

Prosperity for all in the global economy – world class skills

The Leitch Review was tasked in 2004 with considering the UK’s long-term skills needs.
The UK is building on economic strength and stability, with 14 years of unbroken growth
and the highest employment rate in the G7. Its skills base has improved significantly over
the last decade with rising school standards and growth in graduate numbers. Despite this,
the UK’s skills base remains weak by international standards, holding back productivity,
growth and social justice. The Review has found that, even if current targets to improve
skills are met, the UK’s skills base will still lag behind that of many comparator countries
in 2020. The UK will run to stand still.

The global economy is changing rapidly, with emerging economies such as India and China
growing dramatically, altering UK competitiveness. The population is ageing, technological
change and global migration flows are increasing. There is a direct correlation between
skills, productivity and employment. Unless the UK can build on reforms to schools,
colleges and universities and make its skills base one of its strengths, UK businesses will
find it increasingly difficult to compete. As a result of low skills, the UK risks increasing
inequality, deprivation and child poverty, and risks a generation cut off permanently from
labour market opportunity. The best form of welfare is to ensure that people can adapt to
change. Skills were once a key lever for prosperity and fairness. Skills are now increasingly
the key lever.

A radical step-change is necessary.

Full Report: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/523/43/leitch_finalreport051206.pdf