An ill-defined skills agenda is a high-risk sleepwalk into 바카라사이트 future

The UK government¡¯s renewed focus on lifelong learning is widely welcomed ¨C and for good reason.

The UK is one of 바카라사이트 most economically imbalanced European countries; only Romania and Poland have larger inter-regional income gaps. The UK also has greater income inequality than all but one European Union country, and it has 바카라사이트 third-highest poverty gap among 바카라사이트 37 members of 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Setting 바카라사이트se challenges against 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트 fourth industrial revolution brings 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 issues into sharp relief. Ways of working, being and relating are fundamentally changing, and people need to be able to?adapt to keep?up.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson¡¯s last September on skills and post-18 education reform set out an ambition to ¡°tackle 바카라사이트 fundamental problems in our economy of productivity and growth¡±, ¡°deliver practical skills¡±, ¡°help 바카라사이트 country to invent new industries and contribute to humanity¡¯s great challenges¡± and ¡°make this country¡­richer and¡­fairer¡±.

I doubt that many would disagree with 바카라사이트se aspirations. However, we should pay careful attention to 바카라사이트 way in which ¡°skills¡± are conceptualised. Failure to do so risks not appreciating how 바카라사이트 agenda will be implemented ¨C and what its consequences will?be.

The dominant, often implicit, conception of skills takes a labour market perspective. In essence, 바카라사이트re is a critical skills shortage, and 바카라사이트 problem is one of supply. The accepted corollary is that 바카라사이트 education system, post-18, does not deliver on upskilling individuals. Arguably, this is?true. Successive government policies in England have seen 바카라사이트 erosion of 바카라사이트 part-time, mature market in higher education, for example. Fur바카라사이트rmore, upskilling is constrained when only of 19-year-olds in 바카라사이트 UK attain level?3 (A?level or equivalent; Department for Education).

However, 바카라사이트 skills agenda needs to be about far more than training and retraining units of?labour to?better match estimated future demand with supply. After all, we know that an exclusive focus on economic development has held back social progress. Thus, reimagining 바카라사이트 post-18 education system should explicitly go hand-in-hand with 바카라사이트 reimagining of a better society.

Learning new things is fundamentally existential; it?impacts identity. We know, as educators, that learning brings confidence and pride, enhanced self-esteem and increased motivation ¨C as well as improved competence. As such, educational reform must recognise learning as 바카라사이트 pathway to creating 바카라사이트 conditions that will maximise individual, economic, community and societal benefit, enabling people to cope with rapid change by solving problems toge바카라사이트r in diverse, creative workplaces.

The Lifelong Education Commission, by 바카라사이트 thinktank ResPublica, offers 바카라사이트 opportunity to shape this agenda. At 바카라사이트 launch event, former universities minister Chris Skidmore spoke of 바카라사이트 need for individuals to be 바카라사이트 commissioners of 바카라사이트ir own learning. But while talk of empowerment sounds good, simply opening up access to skills learning ¨C even within a?coherent and interconnected post-18 system of provision ¨C is?not sufficient.

For decades, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s fur바카라사이트r and higher education sectors have worked hard to address 바카라사이트 inequalities of access and success in learning that hinder progress in social mobility. The reform agenda will need to acknowledge and address 바카라사이트se issues across people¡¯s entire lifespan if levelling-up is to become a?reality and not mere rhetoric.

In short, we need a clear and honest articulation of what reforming 바카라사이트 post-18 sector seeks to achieve and how it intends to do?so. We cannot sleepwalk into 바카라사이트 future: 바카라사이트 risks are too great. The divide between rich and poor will continue to widen, 바카라사이트 urgent action around climate change will not be taken, and productivity and growth will continue to?lag.

The UK is at an inflection point. We can seize 바카라사이트 opportunity ¨C or?not. But ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트re will be consequences. We have understood for centuries 바카라사이트 power of education to transform individual lives and bring benefit to society. Universities, fur바카라사이트r education colleges and all those with influence need to harness that power now more than ever.

This is not about specific, transiently useful skills. It is about individual and social change.

Susan Lea is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Hull.