06 December 2006

RDA response to the Leitch Review - December 2006

Commenting on the publication of the Leitch Review of Skills, Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the lead RDA on skills, said:

"This important review reinforces the role of skills as the bedrock of economic development, and recognises that the only way to build a firm foundation for economic growth lies in the skill set of our people.

Current ambitions for skills across the UK, even if achieved, do not go far enough. If the regions want to achieve a world-class skills base by 2020 then we must all raise the game and set ourselves greater targets. The UK economy is becoming increasingly knowledge based, with more emphasis on knowledge based jobs and we need to invest in this if we are to compete on a global scale.

The Regional Development Agencies welcome the overall direction of the report and fully support the long-term aspiration to become the world leader in skills by 2020 and to set challenging targets now.

We recognise and support the shared responsibility of bringing employment and skills together and welcome the emphasis on a demand led approach to skills which supports both the needs of the employer and the individual. We also support the drive for increased employer engagement and major investment in skills.

It is vital that employers increase their investment in level 3 and 4 qualifications in the workplace and that they work more closely with our universities. If we invest in our people even more now, then we can become a world leader on skills in the future."