Great Britain: the objectives set to improve skills by 2020 may not be achieved

Worsening competitiveness. Ten years before the deadline set by Lord Leitch in his report condemning the extremely low skill level in the UK (see our dispatch No. 061233), the Commission for Employment and Skills published an alarming report on the evolution of the situation. Whereas the goal was to have at least 90% of the active population with “low” skills level by 2020, only 77% of British workers may achieve that level in eleven years. Same observation regarding the 68% of the active population with an “intermediate” skills level goal. As a consequence, the gap between Great Britain and countries with the most skilled active population is going to increase instead of reducing. In 2020, great Britain is likely to be ranked 23rd on low level skills on a list of 30 countries (compared to 17th now); the country will also go from the 18th to the 21st on intermediate level and from 10th to 12th on high level skills. Therefore, it will not be in the top eight countries of the world at any skilled level, as the Leitch report desired.
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ranked 23rd on low level skills on a list of 30 countries (compared to 17th now); the country will also go from the 18th to the 21st on intermediate level and from 10th to 12th on high level skills. Therefore, it will not be in the top eight countries of the world at any skilled level, as the Leitch report desired.

Insufficient progress. Mike Campbell, author of the Commission’s report, thinks that urgent action is required to restore high standards, because the low skills level slows down the c

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