Government must use autumn statement to address skills crisis

Ahead  of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on Thursday 17 November, the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) is calling on the Government to deliver a national body that gathers labour market intelligence to inform education and skills policy.

Rosalind Gill, Head of Policy and Engagement at NCUB said, “UK ambition to scale up innovation and meet the national challenges outlined at the Conservative Party Conference cannot be met with the current skills gaps across the economy.

“Action is needed to address this gap, anticipate skills needs and build a workforce fit for the future. Indeed, recent data further underscores the urgency of the situation, revealing that there were 988,000 vacancies, in July to September 2023. This highlights the severity of skills gaps and mismatches that specific sectors in the UK are grappling with.”

She added, “To help cope with this, we are urging the Government to create a new body to tackle the current skills crisis, proactively address future skill demands, and cultivate a workforce ready for the upcoming challenges.

“Since the dissolution of the UK Skills and Employment Commission in 2017, the UK has lacked a national body dedicated to gathering labour market intelligence to guide policy making. This new body will be vital for businesses, universities and the Government alike, to better understand the labour market needs.”