Let’s Build Your Workforce Skills
Levelling-up, Net Zero and Upskilling
The UK Government levelling-up agenda is an opportunity to transform the jobs and skills system by considering social inclusion for diverse communities. The levelling up white paper has set out 12 high level “missions”, one of which is the commitment to increase the number of adults engaged in high-quality skill training. At the same time, the government has a emphasis on reducing economic and social inequalities across the different regions of the country through its levelling up agenda.
The question is can net zero emissions and the levelling-up agenda for communities achieved at the same time? To benefit from economic growth and access to job opportunities it creates, people need to have the right skills which employers seek for their businesses. In this respect, levelling up is faced differently by every place in different regions of the country. Identifying the right skills to invest in is more complex for areas in need of levelling up. This is because delivering sustainable and socially inclusive economic growth in these areas will require investments, interventions and right skills according to area and its employers need.
To achieve net zero target, decarbonisation must happen in every place across the country. This will require local leadership to deliver interventions which encourage socially inclusive economic growth, increase mode shift, reduce carbon footprints and add social value. But with the impacts of moves to net zero and digitalisation require significant updating of the skills of the workforce to deliver these interventions. It is also essential that the UK workforce has the correct skills for net zero to take advantage of the jobs which will be created by new projects and initiatives.
The levelling up white paper in its sections on education and skills makes a number of statements and promises about the role of employers. The white paper asserts that via ‘employer-led’ (LSIPs), which will be put on a statutory footing, the ‘reforms will embed local employers at the heart of an increasingly devolved, outcomes-oriented system way in which skills policy is formulated and delivered’. The white paper also establishes some relatively modest targets for increases in state-funded training activity, perhaps most notably 200,000 extra adults receiving or c per annum, of which 80,000 are to live in deprived areas.
In brief, skilled workforce and training provision to build skills are vital and can deliver the game changer projects on achieving national vision on net zero and levelling up agenda. Organisations (along with state-funded training investment) both in public and private sectors should invest in their workforce on delivering projects timely by using the right tools and value of money.
Zeenara Najam
i-Select Consultancy