Welcome

2. Skills in South London, Key Issues and Landscaping By Chris Sprules Welcome

3. Why do Skills Matter? 01

4. Over-arching objective is higher growth rate. Skills are one of five key drivers of that objective Grow the sustainable growth rate of GDP per head/per hour Increase Employment Rate Increase Productivity Increase Number of People Economically Active Increase Output per Worker Enterprise Skills Innovation Competition Investment PRODUCTIVITY DRIVERS

5. Earnings Comparison with Germany • AVERAGE HOURLY WAGES • UK Germany • Top40% 12.35 12.86 • Next20% 6.00 8.25 • Bottom40% 3.68 5.64 • Source: ‘Britain’s Record on Skills’ R Layard, S McIntosh and A Vignoles, 2002

6. 1 in 5 residents have a reading age of 11 High proportion still have poor numeracy/language Knowledge economy means high skills levels in workforce Soft/Basic skills of young people starting work Predicted net requirement in Financial and Business Services (74,000) Retail (46,000) Employers report significant skills gaps Local Issues

7. Skills White Paper2005 • Aim - To ensure that: • Employers have the right skills base to support the success of their business. • Individuals have the skills they need to be employable and personally fulfilled.

8. Main LSC Actions under Skills Strategy • Meeting individuals’ needs • Progression: basic skills, Levels 2 to 4/Higher education • Information, advice and guidance • Focus on those at risk of exclusion • Reform supply • Raise quality of colleges/providers • Encourage colleges to be more responsive to industry needs • Reform qualifications • LSC planning and funding reform • Meeting employers’ needs • National Employer Training Programme (Train to Gain) • Sector Skills Councils • Business support and brokerage

9. London South LSC • Need to be innovative • EGTP website www.egtp.co.uk • Enterprise Zone www.theenterprisezone.co.uk • Need to respond to local employers • Sector Skills Action Teams created • Borough employer panels • Management & Leadership –ADDMORE programme • College Business Development Unit group, identifying new ways of building relationships with employers – development of employer friendly framework for colleges. • Centres of vocational excellence • Need to have strong regional and local impact • Creation of Skills Alliance to bring all key stakeholders together

10. NETP Brokerage Service • Seamless service to employers that fully integrates Generalist Business Brokers (LDA) and Skills brokers (LSC) • Impartial advice on employers business and skills development needs • Credible to employers – National standard • Training • Working to a standard protocol • Setting a standard for Brokerage Service • Current brokerage

11. Current Brokerage Service • “The broker was very clear in her approach and we liked this” • “We couldn’t see the value that a broker brings to the process” • “They were very understanding, clear and flexible” • Great demand for softer skills – Presentation and Interpersonal – plus Sales and Marketing • Not having rolling programmes is a problem

12. 50,000 Businesses in South London