Manufacturing institutes are key to revitalizing manufacturing in the US
President Obama has announced that the US government will launch six new institutes of manufacturing as part of a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). The project is co-funded by the government and private sector and will connect industry and universities.
Robert Atkinson, the president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, explores why the decision is crucial to improving how the US manufacturing industry competes globally in a blog post on the Ideas Laboratory. He looks at how the initiative will advance technological innovation and his comments offer food for thought on how the UK approaches upskilling its workforce.
You can read the full post on the Ideas Laboratory site.
UK skills shortage getting worse
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show signs of an economic recovery, but researchers are concerned business will be prevented from taking advantage of this because of a skills shortage.
In a survey of 91,000 employers, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills found more than one in five job vacancies last year were left unfilled because people didn't have the adequate skills. Shortages were particularly found in manufacturing, construction, plumbing, health and social care.
You can read more on the survey's findings on the BBC.
Colleges and the unemployed – something to shout about
A great piece from the Association of College's president Michele Sutton on the work colleges do with the unemployed.
She pulls out some interesting data on the role further education plays in tackling unemployment. In the association's Back to Work survey, virtually every college reported recruiting through Jobcentre Plus and 77% actively recruited unemployed people.
It's a nice piece that celebrates the critical role the further education sector plays in helping people get back into work.
You can read the full post on the Association of College's blog.
Major inquiry into adult learning
For the first time in 13 years a parliamentary inquiry is looking exclusively into the state of adult literacy and numeracy, following research from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showing a dramatic decline in standards among young adults.
In this excellent piece Ian Nash, member of the Policy Consortium, picks apart the headlines on the inquiry and explores why adults lack basic skills.
You can read his full post on the Policy Consortium website.
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