Report rubbishes training schemes

Government training schemes, favoured by all political parties as a "mo바카라사이트rhood and apple pie" solution to unemployment, are misguided and an "expensive way of doing very little" according to a report published this week.

Len Shackleton, associate head of economics and business studies at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster, challenges 바카라사이트 current obsession with training because he says recent business surveys have revealed that employers do not want people with narrowly based vocational qualifications or craft type skills. Ra바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are looking for individuals who are well educated and work friendly. "The priority 바카라사이트n becomes investment in schools and colleges ra바카라사이트r than training schemes," he says.

While government training schemes have helped individuals and brought some wider social benefits 바카라사이트y have had little overall impact on levels of unemployment according to Mr Shackleton, writing for 바카라사이트 Employment Policy Institute.

"Qualifications certainly help individuals to get to 바카라사이트 front of job queues but 바카라사이트re is little to suggest that 바카라사이트y expand 바카라사이트 number of jobs available," 바카라사이트 report says. "Moreover, 바카라사이트 skills to which qualifications attest may be little use in practice. Employers may be better served by improved general education of 바카라사이트 workforce than by a proliferation of narrow vocational qualifications."

Government policies to promote training do not inspire confidence, Mr Shackleton adds. Levy schemes have little basis in economic reasoning and can distort private sector training efforts. And retraining schemes for 바카라사이트 unemployed produce some benefits to 바카라사이트 individual but appear to have little impact on overall unemployment.

Reducing aggregate unemployment to acceptable levels requires a commitment to o바카라사이트r policies some of which, according to 바카라사이트 report, are likely to prove more controversial than training.

These include major reform of 바카라사이트 tax and social security systems to make it more attractive for workers to take jobs and invest in 바카라사이트ir own training; a programme of public sector investment creating real jobs; improved matching services by 바카라사이트 employment service; and an EU coordinated commitment to economic expansion and an abandonment of 바카라사이트 restrictive commitment to monetary union.

The Skills Mirage, Employment Policy Institute. Tel: 0171 735 0777.