Business leader warns of skills shortage
Preston needs to fill its skills gap now if it is to be prepared for its regeneration challenges in the future, according to a top business leader.
Frank McKenna, of business group Downtown Preston in Business, believes training providers should be linking up with the city's University of Central Lancashire and Preston College to increase the number of skilled workers in the area.
He said that training objectives of the city needed to be tied in with the plans for its future with extra investment in the construction and service sector.
The plea comes as officials at the government Learning and Skills Council (LSC) prepares to unveil its national plans for more advanced adult training.
Mr McKenna said: "There needs to be a radical change of approach from training providers, so we are providing what employers need rather than ticking boxes.
"In Preston, the manufacturing and construction industry is finding it increasingly hard to recruit highly-skilled staff and, if we look five years into the future, these are the kind of people we will need when we are regenerating the city.
"Then, when everything is up and running, it will be the service sectors, like tourism, leisure and hoteliers, so we need to start preparing for these things now."
Regional relationship manager Lynne Wood, of business support group Business Link North West, said that it already had programmes in place to address the skill shortage in the area.
She said the LSC was already running specific construction training courses and urged companies to get involved.
She said: "There are programmes in place to address the skills gap and what we need is for more progressive companies to get on board with these vocational qualifications and apprenticeship schemes.
"Skills are not a problem specific to Preston, but it is one that people need to start addressing now."
Earlier this week, the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) revealed many of its members were now employing "ready-made workers" from overseas, because migrants were better-trained that domestic staff.
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
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