Ambition 2020 Launched in Northern Ireland

Ambition 2020 Launched in Northern Ireland Mon 28 Sep 2009 Identifying, investing in and utilising the right skills, both now and over the long term, will be critical to ensuring that Northern Ireland comes out strongly from the current downturn Bill McGinnis, the Northern Ireland Adviser on Employment and Skills said today. NORTHERN IRELAND AIMS FOR WORLD CLASS SKILLS Identifying, investing in and utilising the right skills, both now and over the long term, will be critical to ensuring that Northern Ireland comes out strongly from the current downturn Bill McGinnis, the Northern Ireland Adviser on Employment and Skills said today. Mr McGinnis was speaking at the launch of UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) Ambition 2020 Report. The report finds that internationally, the UK in 2006 (the latest international data available) ranked 17^th in the world on low-level skills, 18^th on intermediate skills and 12^th on high level skills. It calls on the UK governments to adopt a UK-wide goal of being in the top eight performing nations in employment and skills in the world by 2020. The report also challenges governments and businesses to redouble their ambitions and invest in skills to prevent the UK slipping behind international competitors over the next decade in jobs, productivity and competitiveness. Mr McGinnis warned the economic climate could see a further 28,000 jobs lost by the end of next year and said that the challenge for Northern Ireland would be to emerge strongly from the recession: “We must prepare now for the jobs of the future. We must ensure that people have the skills necessary for the opportunities that will become available post recession and that employers will be able to recruit workers with the skills necessary for business success. Evidence shows that a highly skilled workforce and the adoption of more efficient operating models and high performance working practices will help ensure our businesses survive and grow, leading to a healthier economy. However the challenge for Northern Ireland is even greater given that participation in training, high performance work and the use of best practice management techniques is lower than the rest of the UK at all skill levels. Overall, the future of our economy therefore depends on employers and individuals recognising that their long term prosperity is inextricably linked to how they develop and utilise their skills base. This in turn will lead to wider economic benefits, including improved productivity and sustainable employment.” Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey who spoke at the launch, commented: “I welcome the UK Commission’s Ambition 2020 report. It gives a focus for Government on how it might take forward work on the skills agenda. It is clear that we will have to raise our game considerably if we are to achieve the UK’s ambition to be in the top quartile of OECD countries in job, productivity and skills by 2020. “In Northern Ireland, my Department is reviewing its skills strategy, “Success through Skills”, with a view to producing an updated version later this year. This will make proposals on how we can enhance our local economy through improvements in the skills levels of our current workforce and the employees of the future. “ One hundred and thirty of the leading stakeholders in the Northern Ireland and United Kingdom Skills arena attended the event launch in the offices of Belfast Harbour Commissioners.

Mon 28 Sep 2009

Identifying, investing in and utilising the right skills, both now and over the long term, will be critical to ensuring that Northern Ireland comes out strongly from the current downturn Bill McGinnis, the Northern Ireland Adviser on Employment and Skills said today.

NORTHERN IRELAND AIMS FOR WORLD CLASS SKILLS

Identifying, investing in and utilising the right skills, both now and over the long term, will be critical to ensuring that Northern Ireland comes out strongly from the current downturn Bill McGinnis, the Northern Ireland Adviser on Employment and Skills said today.

Mr McGinnis was speaking at the launch of UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) Ambition 2020 Report. The report finds that internationally, the UK in 2006 (the latest international data available) ranked 17^th in the world on low-level skills, 18^th on intermediate skills and 12^th on high level skills. It calls on the UK governments to adopt a UK-wide goal of being in the top eight performing nations in employment and skills in the world by 2020. The report also challenges governments and businesses to redouble their ambitions and invest in skills to prevent the UK slipping behind international competitors over the next decade in jobs, productivity and competitiveness.

Mr McGinnis warned the economic climate could see a further 28,000 jobs lost by the end of next year and said that the challenge for Northern Ireland would be to emerge strongly from the recession: “We must prepare now for the jobs of the future. We must ensure that people have the skills necessary for the opportunities that will become available post recession and that employers will be able to recruit workers with the skills necessary for business success.

Evidence shows that a highly skilled workforce and the adoption of more efficient operating models and high performance working practices will help ensure our businesses survive and grow, leading to a healthier economy. However the challenge for Northern Ireland is even greater given that participation in training, high performance work and the use of best practice management techniques is lower than the rest of the UK at all skill levels.

Overall, the future of our economy therefore depends on employers and individuals recognising that their long term prosperity is inextricably linked to how they develop and utilise their skills base. This in turn will lead to wider economic benefits, including improved productivity and sustainable employment.”

Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey who spoke at the launch, commented: “I welcome the UK Commission’s Ambition 2020 report. It gives a focus for Government on how it might take forward work on the skills agenda. It is clear that we will have to raise our game considerably if we are to achieve the UK’s ambition to be in the top quartile of OECD countries in job, productivity and skills by 2020.

“In Northern Ireland, my Department is reviewing its skills strategy, “Success through Skills”, with a view to producing an updated version later this year. This will make proposals on how we can enhance our local economy through improvements in the skills levels of our current workforce and the employees of the future. “

One hundred and thirty of the leading stakeholders in the Northern Ireland and United Kingdom Skills arena attended the event launch in the offices of Belfast Harbour Commissioners.