BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS DEBATE REGION'S SKILLS STATUS

Today presenter, James Naughtie, chaired the LSC
panel discussion in Bradford

The challenge to make Yorkshire and the Humber more competitive with the rest of the world was debated in November at a special event chaired by James Naughtie, presenter of Radio Four’s Today programme.

‘A Question of Skills’ was hosted by the LSC in Bradford, and was attended by more than 60 business leaders from across Yorkshire and the Humber, including representatives from small businesses, colleges and other training providers.

Based loosely on the Question Time format, the event gave participants the opportunity to enter a frank and honest debate with the LSC’s National Director of Skills, David Way; the Chief Executive of Yorkshire Forward, Tom Riordan; Regional Director for the LSC in Yorkshire and the Humber, Margaret Coleman; and LSC Regional Director of Skills, David Hodges.

The issues covered in the two-hour debate at Bradford’s Abundant Life Centre, ranged from bridging the gap between qualifications and skills, to the future of apprenticeships and the impact on the region’s economy by refugees and economic migrants.

David Hodges, LSC Regional Director of Skills, said: “The purpose of the Question of Skills event was two-fold. Firstly, we wanted to help businesses better understand our agenda and what we can do for them and, perhaps more importantly, we also wanted to listen more closely to the employers’ voice. The event has given us a greater understanding of employers’ needs and hopefully we can ensure that our provision responds to these needs in the most effective ways possible.”

James Naughtie, Chair of the Question of Skills event, added: “I thought we covered a lot of ground during the debate. Worries were clearly expressed and we got enough of a response from the panellists to show that the LSC were thinking about the problems too. I hope that the people in attendance got the sense that the various aspects of training and skills that they were worried about are now being addressed.”

Paula Grizzard, founder of the Back to Work Company, attended the event. She said: “The event has been a very valuable experience for me. My work is very much about economic regeneration so it is important for me to be up-to-date on anything around the labour market.

Click below to watch a podcast from the event.