e-skills UK today released a consultation for its five year strategic plan for England and is now seeking input from employers, educationalists and other stakeholders with an interest in the UK’s IT & Telecoms skills base.

The consultation is focused on five strategic objectives (outlined below) and approaches proposed to address them. The consultation material also contains the key facts that underpin these objectives, the vision the objectives support, and the targets to be achieved.

Karen Price, CEO of e-skills UK, explains the consultation is a vital part of developing a successful strategy: “Our job is to unite employers, educators and government to ensure the UK has the technology-related skills it needs to compete in the global economy.  Effective partnerships are central to achieving this, and we value input from everyone with insight and views on the subject.  This will help us to create a strategic plan which has widespread support and can make the biggest impact on UK productivity and competitiveness,” said Karen.

e-skills UK’s consultation invites comment and feedback on a range of topics including addressing the gender imbalance; updating the school curriculum; deepening links between industry and Higher Education; improving access to learning for IT professionals; supporting small companies; and making the best use of public funding for training provision.

To contribute to the development of the strategy or to find out more, please visit www.e-skills.com/strategy. The consultation will run until Friday, 27 June 2008.  

Proposed vision for the strategy 

The proposed vision for the strategic plan is for the UK to be recognised as a global leader in delivering business transformation and deriving business value from technology.
The proposed strategic objectives to underpin this vision are:

1. Sector attractiveness: improve the appeal of the diverse range of careers in IT & Telecoms, attracting talented men and women from all walks of life.

2. Education: ensure technology-related education in schools, colleges and universities supports the future needs of the UK in the global economy.

3. Workforce development: encourage investment in the development of the IT & Telecoms workforce to achieve the skills mix needed for global leadership.

4. Business leaders: improve the ability of organisations in all sectors to derive business benefit from technology by increasing the strategic technology skills of business leaders and managers.

5. IT user skills: ensure all individuals can develop the IT user skills they need for employment and social inclusion.

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