UK Commission publishes Skills Audit

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills has published the first National Strategic Skills Audit, Skills for Jobs: Today and Tomorrow.

The report was commissioned by the government to provide greater understanding of England's existing and future skills needs. The audit examines the sectors, occupations and skills that are most important to meeting the needs of the economy and labour market; assesses the current mismatch between the skills required and those available; and looks at the likely emerging needs based on the 'drivers of change', labour market projections and detailed sectoral analysis.

The key messages of the audit comprise: the need for intelligent markets that anticipate skills needs; a commitment to 'economically valuable skills'; that demand matters as well as supply; and high, intermediate and generic skills matter to future economic growth but low skilled jobs are also expected to persist.

Chris Humphries CBE, Chief Executive of the UK Commission, said: "Despit having a more skilled workforce than at any time in our history, we still lag behind many of our major economic competitors. In order to catc up, skills investment needs to connect more to the jobs that need doing now and the will need doing in the future."