Investing in local talent - could potential be on our doorstep?

Published November 16th, 2007

Every few weeks or so, news articles appear on how the education system is failing.  Talk often arises on the emphasis on tests from a very early age and lack of skills in the workforce.

Lets have a look at some recent news articles from the BBC:

• Skill drive to boost workforce
• Most London firms hiring overseas
• Half of new jobs go to migrants
• London skills shortage worsening
• Many graduates lack soft skills

From the above articles, apparently there is a skills shortage in London, yet it has the highest unemployment rate!  This leads to companies hiring overseas.

The young generation are investing thousands into a higher education, but graduating with incomplete (yet essential) skills.

The government is on a mission to provide 7 million training places to increase literacy and numeracy standards.  It has been argued that this points to failure in the education system.

Crucial questions need to be asked!

• Why aren’t companies investing (more) in local talent?
• Is the education system staying the same whilst the world around moves on?
• Has the education system forgotten to encourage people to learn, rather than pass tests?
• Do degrees fulfill the need of employers?
• Will the under educated really be interested in yet another literacy or numeracy course?  The education system has failed them before, will it happen again?
• Why are there so many under skilled people in the UK?
• What talents are hidden within the unemployed? How can the government, organisations, communities people ignite their passion to learn?
• The role of technology is increasingly important to facilitate learning from an organisational and personal point of view.  How are you or your organisation using technology to optimise talent?
• With talk of the future being multipational, the ability to learn on the go is increasingly important.  How flexible and open should people be when it comes to their day to day job?

We believe it is important to ask questions, without them answers will not be found!

This entry was posted on Friday, November 16th, 2007 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Performance, Talent, learning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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