Is the technology industry struggling to recruit
people because of skills shortages? Will the recent reforms to
technology sector apprenticeships have a positive impact? What
role should employers have in promoting lifelong
learning?
These are some of the questions
the House of Lords Economic Affairs
Committee will be asking two panels of witnesses
on Tuesday 23 January 2018.
At 3.35pm the Committee will hear from:
-
Giles Derrington, Head of Policy for Exiting the
European Union, techUK
-
Russ Shaw, Founder, Tech London
Advocates
-
Matthew Houlihan, Director, Government and
Corporate Affairs, Cisco UK and Ireland.
Questions the Committee is likely to ask them
include:
-
The 2015 CBI/Pearson skills survey found that 40
per cent of employers had reported a shortage of STEM graduates
as being a key barrier in recruiting appropriate staff. Does
the technology sector struggle to find people with the right
skills?
-
Are apprenticeships the right form of training for
the digital era?
-
The first Technical (T) levels in digital,
construction, and education and childcare are expected to be
taught from 2020 with the full programme introduced by 2022.
What difference will the introduction of T levels
make?
At 4.35pm the Committee will hear from:
-
Seamus Nevin, Head of Policy Research, Institute of
Directors
-
Anna Purchas, Head of People, KPMG.
Questions the Committee is likely to ask them
include:
-
Around 50 per cent of British graduates are
employed in non-graduate roles. Has the expansion of university
education raised the qualification requirements for jobs that
do not require graduate skills?
-
Will recent reforms to apprenticeships, including
the apprenticeship levy and targets improve the system? Is
there a danger that the existence of an apprenticeship target
will incentivise lower-quality offerings?
-
Should businesses help provide careers advice in
schools?
This evidence session will start at 3.35pm on
Tuesday 23 January 2018 in Committee Room 1 of the House of
Lords.
These sessions are part of the Committee’s ongoing
inquiry into the economics of higher, further and technical
education.
