Sarah Green column
TODAY I will be speaking immediately after former CBI director-general Lord Digby Jones at the launch of Newcastle College’s £8.6m employer training centre, the Sandyford Building.
The investment that the North-East’s further and higher education sectors make to our towns and cities not only contributes a huge amount to the physical environment, but makes a big contribution to the learning infrastructure.
Business in the 21st Century relies on having a highly-skilled and motivated workforce to be able to grow and compete and will often turn to local colleges and universities to deliver their skills requirements.
The region is host to a great deal of best practice in this area, and throughout 2008, the CBI will be working on two major projects to unearth good practice on business links with further and higher education providers.
In addition to the Newcastle College event, today also marks the launch of another fantastic development project which will provide a modern and appealing learning environment for both the region’s young people, and for those who come here to study.
I’ll be heading straight from the college to see the official opening of the bridge which runs over to the new iconic Northumbria University campus at Manors.
Getting skills right doesn’t just rely on having fantastic facilities to study in – business also makes a huge £33bn investment in skills provision, a great deal of which is delivered in-house and on the job.
By signing up to the new Skills Pledge, businesses can make public their commitment to developing their workforce. This is what I’ll be talking to the audience this morning about.
We’re working closely with the regional Learning and Skills Council to encourage employers to sign up to the Skills Pledge.
In doing so businesses commit to support all employees to develop their basic skills, including literacy and numeracy, and work towards relevant, valuable qualifications.
Committing to improve the basic skills of your workforce has huge productivity benefits and, in an increasingly competitive labour market, a public declaration of this commitment signals to job-seekers that you are willing to make an investment in them.
To sign up, or to find out more about the Skills Pledge visit www.traintogain.gov.uk/skillspledge.
Sarah Green is regional director, CBI North East
Region is host to a great deal of best practice
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