MANUFACTURERS are leading a campaign to reduce the UK employee skills gap by boosting medium to highly skilled jobs.
EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has launched its skills manifesto urging government to set a target of three-quarters of jobs to be in the higher skilled level by 2020.
Six-in-ten manufacturers (59%) are concerned about the impact this will have on skills
The target is part of a policy blueprint designed to meet the manufacturing sector’s ever-increasing demand for skills.
It follows last week’s National Manufacturing Conference where it was revealed that manufacturers will be facing a technology-driven fourth industrial revolution within the next decade.
Six-in-ten manufacturers (59%) are concerned about the impact this will have on skills, while 63% predict increased demand for highly skilled workers.
As part of its drive to ensure UK manufacturing is not left out in the cold, EEF is pushing for 90% of state secondary school maths, physics, chemistry and biology teachers to have at least a post A-level qualification in the subject they teach. It also wants to see a 25% increase in the number of apprentices completing engineering and manufacturing apprenticeships.
