Skills, Skills, Skills @Stormont

This week we helped Skills for Logistics host an event in The Long Gallery at Parliament Buildings which highlighted the importance of the development of skills in the sector.

The logistics sector employs almost 41,000 people in Northern Ireland - 5.5%of employment. Think about it a lot of things we take for granted today is brought to us by the logistics sector. The Minister for Empolyment & Learning was unable to join us because of a health issue an abscess (sore! get well soon) and in his place was the very capable Permanent Secretary Aideen McGinley.

She broadened the debate to show that skills development was an all-island responsibility and that several pieces of work had been undertaken including the all-island conference 'Building Skills Together.' She stated

' I am of the firm belief that skills must be at the heart of any dynamic and innovative economy. Only with an appropriate skilled and flexible workforce can we support the growth of our indigenous industries and maintain levels of foreign direct investment that have benefited us all so much in recent years'

The development and investment in our skills base should now be the top priority for the economy. Every day we hear the words recession, unemployment and crises - skills represent the cornerstone of any response to these challenges. Once the euphoria of the Obama win settles down people will realise that the new President will have to focus on employment issues in his own country and this may mean changes to tax regiemes and thus investment overseas.

We can still attract US and other investment but to do this we must invest in skills development and work on an all-island basis to attract investment.

None of this can happen effectively whilst our Executive refuses to meet.

Skills have to be nurtured from the earliest age especially the crucial literacy and numeracy. This cant happen whilst teachers, parents, children and churches do not have a 100% solid blueprint on the way forward on post primary education. Without urgent unquestionable clarity on this issue skills cannot be developed and our economy will eventually suffer.