Skills and training vital to our economy

10 September 2019

A motion calling for a new strategy for skills and training was top of the agenda at the start of the third day of the Trades Union Congress.

Prospect deputy vice president, Neil Hope-Collins, said skills were the “foundation of our movement”.

But the lack of a proper industrial strategy has meant that current provision does not match the real needs of the economy, he warned.

“The jobs of the future are being driven by new technology and by the green transition, and this is where the training and skills provision of the future must be targeted,” he said.

It was also crucial to ensure that this training promotes diversity in the workforce of the future.

Growing areas of the economy like coding are still dominated by men and any proper skills strategy should aim to correct this imbalance, he concluded.

You can read the full text of the motion, which was overwhelmingly endorsed by congress, here.