Guernsey Press

States called on to act quickly to up-skill ‘3,000 unemployed’

ADDRESSING Guernsey’s skills gap has been used as political football and this needs to be managed in the current climate, according to a local skills-focused organisation.

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Susie Crowder of Bright Futures charity. (28611990)

Susie Crowder of the Bright Futures charity has called on the government, as part of its revive and thrive strategy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, to ‘act quickly’ to up-skill and re-skill a growing pool of, by her estimate, 3,000 unemployed islanders.

‘A skills workforce is a vital ingredient to any successful economy,’ she said.

‘The current antiquated approach in addressing the skills challenge falls way short. One should never waste a good crisis, and Guernsey has an opportunity to establish a strategy that caters for all, through their multi-staged life.’

She added that Guernsey, unlike many competing jurisdictions, does not have a meaningful skills strategy and now was the time to address this, on the back of the recent States-endorsed Bailiwick Community Survey, which revealed the economy to have higher than normal unemployment levels, alongside a shortage of skills and labour in areas of high demand.

‘Guernsey’s best attempt at addressing the skills gap challenge – something we should remember is not a new phenomenon – has been historically used as political football between Economic Development and Education,’ she said.

‘With no real ownership, dedicated resource or accountability, it is no surprise that little measurable progress can be celebrated as we cast an eye back over its long life. Now, faced with a growing pool of unemployed people, probably around 3,000, we need to act quickly to ensure that this cohort of human capital is up-skilled and re-skilled and supported through to employment once more – either through job creation or through more entrepreneurial activity.’

Mrs Crowder said a near-on century plan should be developed.

‘Our vision for the Bailiwick is to develop a cradle-to-grave human development strategy that provides lifelong up-skilling or re-skilling opportunities for all,’ she said.

‘We need a 60-year curriculum that supports people throughout their longer working lives.’

In this vein, she welcomed the States revival of an island skills strategy.

‘It is great news to see skills feature on the revive and thrive strategy – we await more detail.’

Policy & Resources have detailed in its ‘revive and thrive’ strategy a plan for short-term and long-term improvements to skills availability in the island.

Plans include a restarted strategic review of population management with a ‘revised scope to identify the people and skills our economy needs to recover and grow’, which will set out the changes needed to ensure this can be done at pace.

In addition, they have included plans to start work on a human capital strategy that combines attracting the people needed from off-island with the training and equipping of the on-island population to meet the challenges of recovery.