Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

What do we
need to change?
Skills for Productivity
68
Priority 1:
Increasing the demand for and supply of higher-level skills
A highly skilled workforce is adaptable to structural changes in the
economy and is well positioned to grasp new opportunities. Higher-level
skills lead to higher productivity for employers and higher incomes for
employees, and are crucial to realising a higher standard of living for the
region’s residents. The demand for higher-level skills is increasing and the
share of jobs in sectors that use highly skilled labour intensively is set to rise.
The East of England performs below the national average in the
proportion of the workforce with higher-level skills – both qualificationbased
and more transferable skills such as management, leadership,
team-working, communication and problem-solving. The region also
produces and employs relatively low proportions of graduates and
postgraduates relative to the size of the population. To counteract this,
we need to establish a virtuous circle, in which employers recognise the
value of – and therefore demand – higher-level skills, while highly skilled
people can be confident of finding high-quality employment opportunities
in the region. This will require increased engagement and investment
from employers and individuals in higher education, addressing market
failures around information and risk, and ensuring that the higher
education system is geared towards meeting workforce needs.
Priority 2:
Creating a culture where people aspire to train and learn throughout life
Continuous participation and investment in skills – by individuals,
employees and employers – enables our economy to keep pace with
global economic and technological change and provides economic
security for our residents and workers. Levels of participation in education
and training must therefore improve.
In the East of England, a significant number of young people with GCSE
achievements leave education early for – often low-skilled, low-wage –
work, where no further training or vocational education is offered.
This reduces the pool of intermediate and technician-level skills in the
region’s labour market. For many adults, particularly those in parts of
the region with lasting legacies as low-skilled economies, participation
in learning is not seen as an integral part of their working lives. The East
of England also has an increasing supply of older workers, who are more
likely to have to update their skills but are least likely to participate in
training. To motivate young people to stay in education and training and
to continue to learn and improve their skills as adults, we must therefore
raise aspirations and communicate the links between learning, work and
prosperity. With the majority of our 2031 workforce having already left
compulsory education, it is particularly important to ensure that the
culture of continuous learning becomes embedded in the workplace.
Priority 3:
Providing clear progression pathways for learning that improves
business performance
Young people taking up vocational and further education opportunities
after compulsory school-leaving age will improve their future career
prospects, while adults progressing towards higher-level skills will
contribute to increased productivity. Individuals must therefore be free
to progress up the skills ladder.