Skill strategy set for publication

Tuesday, 22 March 2005 12:00 AM

The Government is set to publish its Skills White Paper designed to improve basic adult skills in the UK.

The white paper is expected to propose free advanced level vocational courses for adults and a new network of employer-backed academies to boost the skills level of the UK workforce.

According to government figures, 15 million adults lack basic numeracy skills and five million do not have basic literacy skills.

Improvements have been made over the past eight years - just over half of the workforce now have two A-levels compared to 43 per cent in 1997.

However, businesses argue that they are still hindered by a skills shortage and 20 per cent of the UK's productivity gap with France and Germany has been put down to the skills gap.

The free courses will build on the successful pilot schemes which provided free GCSE-level training to adults and will give workers the opportunity to develop higher technical skills.

Approximately 25,000 16-year-olds leave education each year with no GCSE qualifications.

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