#city&guilds

[fenewsuk]

#StandUpForSkills with Frank Douglas SkillsWorldLIVE Social Mobility edition

[escapvsm]

Schools out forever, art college here I come

[senseandinstability-blog]

Why is the UK still behind in the global skills race, despite politicians' promises?

“We knew it was going to take time to make the necessary changes. It was going to take time to evolve,” said David Moyes after being unceremoniously sacked as Manchester United manager having failed to survive even a full season. “In the end, I don't feel I was given time to succeed or fail.”

Now every armchair football pundit – myself included – has a view on Moyes’ time at the top, and many would say he deserved to be sent off. But we’ll never know what would have happened had he had the time to mature in the role, and see some of those ‘necessary changes’ take effect. Perhaps he would indeed have restored the club to their former glory.

Skills and employment policy tends not to captivate attention in quite the same way as premier league football, but the two have something in common. Both attract an unhealthy focus with short-term results at the expense of long-term planning. In football, it’s all about this week’s game, not about the next season. And when it comes to upskilling British adults, it’s too often all about keeping the unemployment figures down or having a policy to point do when asked how you are ‘solving’ the problem, and not implanting sustainable reform.

Read more from NewStatesman >