Training slash for learning disabilities, Tories claim
The government has cut skills training for adults with learning disabilities, according to the Conservative party.
According to shadow education minister Maria Miller, New Labour were neglecting this area in favour of more vocational courses.
“The government’s policy to focus further education funding on skills for life and Level 2 qualifications has meant that courses suitable for adults with severe learning disabilities are being cut in further education colleges,” she said.
This has been challenged by junior education minister Phil Hope, who claimed that assisting learning difficulties was “a priority”.
He said the government had spent £1.5bn on helping these people in 2004-5.
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UK leads world in commitment to mature staff skills
UK employers are twice as likely to recruit older workers than their global competitors, retaining valuable skills, new research claims.
The survey of 27,000 employees across 20 countries found that over 40% of companies believed in losing older staff to make way for younger recruits.
According to the report by HSBC, UK firms are world leaders in hiring a more mature workforce. Eighty-two per cent of employers quizzed said that losing older staff would mean a skills drain.
Globally, nearly three quarters (72%) of respondents disagreed with a mandatory retirement age.
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TUC works with DfES to boost workplace learning
A workplace learning programme which should help 250,000 employees per year has been launched.
Unionlearn aims to boost workforce skills across England and will focus on literacy and numeracy training.
The project is a partnership between the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). It will aim to improve employer support for training to promote the UK skills pool.
Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, outlined the role which employers must play.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase the crucial role of trade unions in boosting UK skills and productivity,” he said.
“Employers need to step up to the challenge of workplace learning, with more support for learning reps, time off to train and a decent wage for apprenticeships,” he added.
Unionlearn director Liz Smith commented: “For individual workers, unionlearn will bring opportunities to develop new skills and ambitions. For employers, it will demonstrate the benefits of a better-trained workforce and higher productivity.”
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EU countries refuse jobseekers from the accession states
Key European countries are keeping their doors closed to migrant skills from the EU accession states, a new report reveals.
France, Germany, Italy, Austria and The Netherlands are among those refusing to accommodate the EU’s open-border policy designed to help jobseekers from the poorest countries that joined the EU in May 2004.
Germany and Austria claim the decision will protect their economy from an unsustainable surge of migrants from Poland and Hungary.
Only the UK, Ireland and Sweden opened their employment markets to the 10 new member states that joined the EU two years ago.
The remaining twelve countries opted for a temporary two-year transition period to prepare their economies from a potential rush of cheap labour skills.
Only Greece, Spain, Portugal and Finland have since chosen to open their borders. The other member states have chosen to maintain full or partial restrictions until 2009.
