Employers' perspectives on improving skills for employment (Paperback)

A strong skill base is an important element of a productive and sustainable economy. The Department for Education and Skills spends around GBP 6.7 billion on skills training in England, with an additional GBP 23.7 billion being spent by employers. Despite this expenditure there are still skill shortages and the UK has low productivity compared to rival economies. This report follows two others on the subject: "Skills For Life: Improving Adult Literacy and Numeracy"; and "Securing Strategic Leadership in the Learning and Skills Sector in England". It is based on direct research with employers on how they want publicly funded training to be improved and whether it represents value for money. It is divided into four sections that look at the need for: clear advice on the best training for staff; training that meets business needs; incentives for employers to do more training; and ways that employers can influences skills training.