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Employment ministers from the UK and Spain came together this
week to discuss how to deal with the issue of skills shortages
across Europe.
Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett and Employment
Minister Tessa Jowell joined their Spanish counterpart Juan
Carlos Aparicio at the UK / Spanish employment seminar in Birmingham.
Mr Blunkett said:
"The UK and Spain have contributed significantly to the total
growth in employment in Europe accounting for almost 40 per
cent of the increase. We are at the forefront of those who argued
for modern social policies, which will carry forward the Lisbon
Summit agenda of lifelong learning and social inclusion against
further attempts to over-regulate the labour market at European
level.
"We are all familiar with the phenomenon of skill shortages
co-existing with persistent high unemployment. A skilled and
productive workforce will increase employment, reduce inflationary
pressures and create the conditions for sustained economic and
employment growth. That was the message of the Lisbon summit
and I hope this seminar will identify those policies and programmes
that will make it a reality.
Tessa Jowell said:
"In the UK our Employment Service reports one million vacancies
and yet we also have one million unemployed people and a further
7.6 million people of working age who are inactive in the labour
market.
"There is a mismatch between the skills and attributes that
employers say they need and those that unemployed people have
to offer. And the skills mismatch is not just restricted to
those out of work; many employers are also reporting skill gaps
amongst existing employees.
"A particular challenge for the future will be in IT skills
shortages. We already know that over 18 million UK workers now
require basic IT competence to do their job. There are 1.2 million
currently employed at technician level, expected to grow by
20-25 per cent in the next three years.
"Some commentators have estimated that if we do not do anything
to address this skills gap, 12 per cent of vacancies for professional
IT jobs could go unfilled in 2002. Furthermore we know that
one of the principal consequences of skills shortages is increased
cost to employers."
Mr Blunkett and Ms Jowell outlined areas of action to tackle
skills shortages in the UK:
. The New Deal, which gives people the skills they need to
move off benefits and into work.
. Improving basic skills with a target to help 750,000 people
by 2004.
. The highly successful Skills Task Force in England advised
on main skill gaps and shortages.
. The new Learning and Skills Council is working with National
Training Organisations and regional development agencies. There
are similar developments in other parts of the UK.
. Employment Zones and Education Action Zones aimed at providing
the qualifications and skills needed in the knowledge economy.
The Spanish delegation accompanied by Tessa Jowell visited Birmingham
Employment Zone to see how the programme is helping the long-term
unemployed in inner city areas back into work. The Birmingham
zone, set up in April 2000, is the largest in the country and
is managed by Pertemps Employment Alliance. So far it has helped
over 700 long-term unemployed people into sustained jobs.
Spanish students from the Hotel School Marbella presented the
ministers with an example of their skills, a celebratory cake
to mark the occasion. Following a previous employment seminar
between UK and Spain a link was developed between the Hotel
School in Marbella and Westminster Kingsway College in London,
which involves an exchange of students.
Further Details and Background Information
This is the fourth in the series of joint employment seminars
between the UK and Spain, which started in Seville in 1998,
followed by Oxford in 1999 and Toledo in 2000.
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