Responding to a National Audit Office report on ensuring the
country has a sufficiently skilled workforce, Cllr Kevin Bentley,
Chairman of the Local Government Association’s People and Places
Board, said:
“As this report highlights, there are a growing number of skills
programmes which can be disjointed and hard for learners,
employers and training providers to navigate.
“Our own analysis shows there are about 49 national employment
and skills related programme or services costing £20
billion, managed by nine Whitehall departments and agencies,
delivered by multiple providers and over different areas.
“This investment should be used more effectively to provide more
joined up support to reduce unemployment and inactivity, boost
skills and meet employer needs.
“Councils and combined authorities are working hard to do this,
but could do more if they had greater influence over the system,
which independent analysis shows could lead to the number of
people improving their skills or finding work increase by 15 per
cent across a place.
“Skills development must go hand-in-hand with employment support,
wraparound services and infrastructure investment, if we are to
make sure local people can benefit from local jobs.”
Notes to Editors
Work Local: The LGA’s
ambitious, practical vision for devolved and integrated
employment and skills provision
