LIFTING The Lid, The Humber Skills Challenge, is a report into what we can do to tailor skills to industry, compiled by the Skills Commission – a group of people representing training and education providers, businesses and local authorities.
It claims there will be 65,000 engineering jobs created in the region between now and 2020, yet the Humber only has the capacity to train around 400 engineering apprentices to level three per year – not enough to meet demand.
That's just 2,800 in the seven remaining years – leaving a labour shortfall of 62,200.
Yet in North East Lincolnshire alone, there are 6,350 people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), which is 6.3 per cent of the able workforce according to figures from the Office of National Statistics (OFT) – well above the national average of 3.7 per cent. The report makes 36 recommendations, including the creation of a Humber-wide training centre, based on the Centre For The Assessment Of Technical Competence – Humber (Catch).
The centre was set up in 2006 and is owned by North East Lincolnshire Council but houses many independent training providers so is essentially funded by both public and private money.
Manager Clive Rounce said: "I'm encouraged that the LEP is trying to find a solution to the skills shortage and has recognised some of the things that have made the Catch model so successful.
"The future holds huge opportunity for the Humber region but something needs to be done so we are in a position to take that opportunity."
The theme of the public and private sector working alongside each other, together with schools and colleges, is common throughout the report.
Nina Stobart, of Phillips66, who was a member of the Humber LEP Skills Commission, said: "Evidence highlighted that as an area, we are all suffering from the same skills issues and what was great is that we already have silos of excellence and best practice answering these problems.
"The LEP now has the platform and momentum to start moving forward together, working cross region with business and education and make a real difference."
Another recommendation was to set up the Employment And Skills Board – made up of local authorities, employers and education and training providers – to lead a Skills Strategy for the whole area. It will meet for the first time next week, tasked with bringing together resources and taking charge of training and giving it direction.
The report reads: "A lot of good work is done in isolation and in partnership, but there is no overarching strategy.
"Somebody needs to take charge, and the Skills Commission recommends that the Local Enterprise Partnership brings together business, political and educational leaders under one board responsible for skills in the Humber."
Nic Dakin, chair of the Skills Commission and MP for Scunthorpe, added: "It is now up to all of us to deliver the change that this report is a call to arms for."
Lord Haskins, chair of the Humber LEP, said: "The LEP is delighted to have received such highly- researched recommendations. Our new Employment And Skills Board will meet to discuss the recommendations on Monday and will be tasked with leading the work to implement them."
The report also highlighted problems in the way careers information is collated. It reads: "Guidance for pre-16s is now provided through schools and this means that standard content and how it is delivered vary from school to school across the region. "The evidence we received was overwhelmingly negative about the current system." The report recommends that the Skills Board set up a Humber Careers Hub and makes information available online to pull together many streams of information. It also recommends the creation of a Apprenticeship Training Agency to support small and medium enterprises to take people on, stating that there are "concerns" over some schemes that "are not directly linked to job opportunities". The board also found that schools were concerned they did not have enough time to get students "employers' needs" because of the emphasis on getting five GCSEs at grades A*-C – and employers worry that schools no longer have to provide work experience. To combat these concerns, the Skills Commission recommends that every business should have a meaningful link with a school or college and vice-versa. The report highlights that one quarter of businesses in the Humber have plans to train their own staff – less than in the Yorkshire and Humber region as a whole. It suggests that the Humber LEP should set up a Skills Investment Fund, matched by private investment, to find ways of providing an incentive for businesses to invest in training. The report also recommends more "enterprise mentors" to help young entrepreneurs who want to set up their own businesses.
Editor's Comment It is clear when you speak to leaders in many industrial fields that there is a clear gap between how a young person is geared up to gain employment and what individual employers actually require from any new starters. The question that must be raised is whether or not there is enough awareness within our academic establishments to ensure successful progression through to the workplace. Now work experience is not compulsory within schools, there is even less need for education and business to mix. But it is vital that young people are exposed to the real life business that is work in order that they begin to understand the needs and demands of an industrial or business environment. A head start in that area will put them ahead of the game in the very competitive jobs market. Various organisations in the area are trying to break down the barriers – we wish them every success. *Are you a person looking for work or an employer who cannot find the right individual for your business. Follow the editor on Twitter @michellelalor
