News and features

Tue, 2 Jun 2009

Employee skills 'key to ending recession'

Ensuring that employers work to develop employee skills is key to ending the recession, an MP claims.

Gordon Marsden, MP for Blackpool South and chairman of the all-party skills group, has argued that skills training is central to the successful transition from recession to a period of growth.

The MP believes that training not only helps to improve the career chances of young people, but also helps to provide a catalyst for business growth when the country's economic situation improves and recession ends.

Speaking in parliament, Mr Marsden said: "The expansion of internships and voluntary experience should be considered to provide new opportunities to ... recent graduates."

He added that as the upturn begins to develop, employers will wish to see higher level skills and therefore it is necessary to focus on improving skills training now, so that demand can be met in the future.

Mr Marsden stated that he has been discussing the possible development of new skills policies to help increase employment opportunities for those at the beginning of their careers, offering the relevant training and guidance to help them develop their career.

Such work is essential in order to allow the job market to effectively bounce back from the problems it currently faces.

All kinds of training, ranging from further education through to part-time learning and employment-based training needs to be improved, he suggested.

Reducing the adult skills gap and providing an opportunity for re-skilling is necessary for further development in the country, Mr Marsden believes.

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