Last month's government skills white paper will give
employers unprecedented influence in shaping the future of IT
training in the UK, the head of public private training body
E-Skills UK said this week.
The white paper lays the groundwork for a series of national
initiatives designed to boost the skills of the UK workforce and to
provide employers with the skilled staff they need.
"The skills white paper gives unprecedented influence to employers
and for the first time puts them in the driving seat in determining
what qualifications they need and how they should be delivered,"
said Karen Price, chief executive of E-Skills UK.
The government's National Employer Training Programme, announced in
the white paper, will provide free work-based basic IT training to
staff in small and medium-sized firms.
The paper also proposed an IT Skills Academy - a specialist college
that will work with employers to train youngsters and adults in the
IT skills demanded by industry and develop IT training ciricula and
qualifications.
Further initiatives will be unveiled later this month when E-Skills
UK publishes the final version of its IT skills action plan, dubbed
the Sector Skills Agreement.
Plans include better IT-related careers material for youngsters at
school and an extension of the Computer Clubs for Girls initiative,
which is helping to encourage young women to consider careers in
IT.
"The future of business in the UK depends upon its ability to
exploit IT effectively for competitive advantage - and this
requires skills at a much higher level," said Price.
"E-Skills will be focusing on developing these skills in our work
with employers, educators and government."