WorldSkills UK Chief Executive Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE responds to Sir Charlie Mayfield’s comment ‘In extraordinary times, we must grab chance to develop new skills’ (Times.co.uk, 3 April).
Sir Charlie Mayfield writes in his comment piece in Times.co.uk that “Every worker who can — whether working at home, on furlough, or who has sadly lost their job — should have an opportunity to learn something valuable during this period. Whether you’re 16 or 65, highly qualified or not, everyone can benefit from acquiring a new skill to use in the workplace.”
In response, WorldSkills UK Chief Executive Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE said:
“Sir Charlie Mayfield’s comment ‘In extraordinary times, we must grab chance to develop new skills’ (Times.co.uk, 3 April) is spot on. We should all be starting to turn our minds to a skills-led recovery and, as Mr Mayfield highlights, one that looks at how we can upskill our apprentices and existing workforce.
“We need to revolutionise training standards in this country to ensure we can compete with the world’s leading economies and crucial to achieving this is international benchmarking. Our global benchmarking network gives us a unique insight into the best practise in global skills development. We are working with partners across industry, education and government to use this insight to mainstream excellence in skills development, arming tens of thousands of apprentices with the world-class skills needed to help drive our recovery.
“International benchmarking on skills is key to enhancing our economic competitiveness and productivity and should be driving skills policy during this challenging time and post recovery.”
