Changing the UK's approach to closing the gap between rich and poor

Admin — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:52:52 GMT

Recent data published by The Institute of Fiscal Studies indicates that the gap between the richest and poorest families in the UK is widening, and that 100,000 more children are now living below the Governments poverty threshold. Does the UK need to change its approach to closing the gap? Could a newer, holistic approach to skills development be the answer?

On the 18th June, the City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development called on all political parties to consider the following proposals underpinned by OECD data:

- Greater freedom for colleges to respond to local demand for skills training.

- Financial incentives to form social partnerships between employers, training providers, unions and community groups that can help to articulate local needs.

- Greater flexibility of funding to allow for people to train at different levels according to local employer needs.

- Social support mechanisms for further education on a par with those available to higher education to encourage individuals to upskill or reskill.

- Research and development initiatives to enable development of skills forecasting techniques.

Where do you stand? Join the debate and give us your views.

City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development / Skills & Equality / Skills & Equality / Changing the UK's approach to closing the gap between rich and poor / Latest Posts

Changing the UK's approach to closing the gap between rich and poor