Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

Where do we want to be?
Headline regional ambitions
39
Skills
If the RES skills targets are achieved by 2020 and maintained to 2031,
there will be 643,000 more adults qualified to at least level 4, 1.1 million
more adults qualified to at least level 3 and 1.2 million more adults in the
region qualified to at least level 2 than today. viii
Skills are a key driver of productivity, economic participation and prosperity.
The ability of firms to update working practices, products, processes and
business models in the face of growing international competition depends
on the quantity and quality of skilled labour available. With employment
prospects for the least skilled declining, a good skills base also helps
people to find employment, progress their careers and improve their pay
prospects. Qualification attainment is a measure of the level of skills and
expertise that are available within the region’s economy.
At an international level, the UK’s skills base is relatively weak. In
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
comparisons of 30 countries, the UK ranks 17th on low skills, 20th on
intermediate skills and 11th on high-level skills. At a regional level, the
East of England’s skills profile compares unfavourably with the national
average: in 2006, 26.6 per cent of adults ix in the East of England were
qualified to level 4 x and above, 44.6 per cent were qualified to level 3 xi
and above and 66.3 per cent were qualified to level 2 xii and above. This
compared with national averages of 28.9 per cent, 47.8 per cent and
68.1 per cent, respectively.
Significant improvements in the region’s skills base are therefore required.
The Leitch Review of Skills has recommended that, by 2020, the UK will
need to achieve:
• over 40 per cent of adults qualified to at least level 4
• 68 per cent of adults qualified to at least level 3
• over 90 per cent of adults qualified to at least level 2.
The RES ambition is to achieve these stretching targets in the East of
England by 2020 and to maintain these levels up to 2031.
viii. The skills targets are based on adults aged 19–state pension age. As the East of England
Forecasting Model does not contain population projections by age group, an estimate has
been produced using ONS national population projections. These projections suggest that 59
per cent of people in England will be aged 19–state pension age in 2031. The number of people
aged 19–state pension age in the East of England in 2031 has therefore been estimated to be
59 per cent of the total population projected in the East of England forecasting model
(RES-RSS scenario).
ix. Adults relate to those aged 19–state pension age.
x. Level 4 equates to degree level qualifications.
xi. Level 3 equates to two or more A Levels or their vocational equivalents.
xii. Level 2 equates to five A*-C GCSEs or their vocational equivalents.