The TUC submission to the government consultation on the National Skills Fund warns that the country is already facing a skills crisis.

There is a need for urgent action on a much greater scale than the policy framework set out in the skills white paper and this consultation. The response calls on government to bring employer bodies and trade unions together to agree strategies to tackle labour and skills shortages, including getting industries and sectors to prioritise delivering decent terms and conditions, direct employment and a proper pay rise.

It recommends a national lifelong learning and skills strategy based on a vision of a high-skill economy, where workers are able to gain both transferable and specialist skills to build their job prospects. A strategic approach along these lines could be delivered at pace by a National Skills Taskforce bringing together employers, unions and other key stakeholders along with government. The response also says that there needs to be extensive reforms to tackle the skills crisis and combat unemployment, including:

• a significant long-term boost to investment in learning and skills by the state and employers
• new learning and skills entitlements and workplace rights to support upskilling and retraining whenever necessary, including the introduction of lifelong learning accounts
• a regular equality audit to ensure that skills policy development and delivery are focused on tackling the significant barriers impacting on groups facing disadvantage and discrimination
• a new social partnership approach on skills and renewed government support for union learning
• ensuring the college workforce is valued and empowered, with an immediate priority to tackle the long-term decline in pay
• focusing the review of the apprenticeship levy on boosting the number of high-quality apprenticeships and widening access to under-represented groups
• increasing college and sixth form funding and introducing reforms to guarantee quality post-16 education and skills pathways for all young people.

Commenting on the TUC submission, Kevin Rowan, Head of Organisation, Services and Skills said:     

The modest package of measures in the National Skills Fund will be much too little too late for many workers needlessly facing unemployment or insecure low-paid work. We need a lifelong learning and skills strategy that will guarantee high quality upskilling and retraining opportunities for everyone needing this now to boost their job prospects. Trade unions and employers should be trusted to work in partnership with government to advise on and help deliver a national skills strategy, as is the case in most other countries.

To access the TUC's response in full, click here.