Responding to ’s speech to the British
Chambers of Commerce this morning, Seamus Nevin, Head of
Employment and Skills Policy at the Institute of Directors, said:
“New technology will bring disruption to companies and employees
alike, but innovative new business models also mean huge new
opportunities for creating wealth and boosting productivity. We
are pleased to see emerge as a techno-optimist
today, and he is absolutely right to bang the drum for the
importance of lifelong learning as means of adapting to changes
coming to the labour market over the next few decades.
“However, the way forward is not to simply throw money at the
issue. The need to get a tight grip on the public finances has
not gone away, so we do not think the solution of indefinite and
entirely free provision of further education is the right one –
as attractive as it might sound.
“The solution must be market-led and capable of responding
quickly to the emergence of new sectors and technologies. As the
IoD has already proposed, this can best achieved through
supporting the growth of flexible, tech-enabled learning
provision (like MOOCs, virtual reality and assisted learning
algorithms), as well as tax breaks for both companies and
individuals to invest in training. This is a much better way to
make sure training will lead to improved job prospects.”
These principles form part of the IoD’s recent
submission to the Taylor Review
