Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Labour Party, will today warn that Britain’s digital future risks being undermined unless everyone plays their part in equipping business and young people with the skills they need to succeed in the future.
He will highlight a dramatic decline in the number of IT and digital apprenticeships which have slumped by more than a quarter over the past year at the same time as recruitment in this sector of skilled workers from outside the EU has risen.
The Labour leader will announce that Maggie Philbin, the former Tomorrow’s World presenter and CEO of TeenTech, has been appointed to head an independent Digital Skills Taskforce. She will work with schools, colleges and employers to produce clear recommendations before the next election to address Britain’s skills gap in this key sector for 21st century economic growth.
Mr Miliband will underline how One Nation Labour has already shown its determination to secure Britain’s digital future, setting out plans to create tens of thousands of new IT and digital apprenticeships over the course of the next parliament with measures including a requirement on big firms to train an apprentice here whenever they hire a skilled worker from outside the EU.
And he will show how Labour’s plan to raise both the quality and quantity of apprenticeships is part of a cost-of-living agenda - extending through prices, wages and jobs – which will rebuild Britain’s economy so it works for working people and business.
Ed Miliband will say:
Labour’s agenda to tackle the cost-of-living crisis has recently focused on prices and wages. Mr Miliband will say restoring the link between the wealth of our nation and ordinary family finances must also mean a non-stop drive to improve the number and kind of jobs we create.
“One Nation Labour believes we can win a race to the top by acting on jobs, prices and wages. That means tackling the cost-of-living crisis by taking on powerful interests and rip-off prices - through measures such as our energy price freeze - and raising wages for the lowest paid or parents through measures such as the Living Wage and extending childcare.
“And acting on jobs too – because they are the way that we will win the race to the top so that we can earn our way out of the cost-of-living crisis, rebuild our economy for the future, and ensure all working people can enjoy the prosperity they deserve.”
Mr Miliband will say David Cameron’s failure to tackle this issue is undermining Britain’s digital future and leaving businesses ever-more dependent on recruiting IT and Digital workers from outside the EU.
“We hear a lot from David Cameron about the global race. But the truth is that he is letting down Britain’s businesses and our young people.
“IT apprenticeships have fallen from 18,520 to 13,750 in the last year alone, leaving businesses having to recruit workers from abroad.
“Businesses need to be able to recruit talent and plug the skill gaps by hiring from overseas. But both they and government have a responsibility to ensure that in the future we have the skills needed for Britain to succeed in the future. “
On a visit to Tech City in London, he will warn that Britain will only win the race to the top and earn its way out of the cost of living crisis if high-tech businesses of the future are equipped with the skills they need.
“Nothing will determine Britain’s future more than the skills of our young people. Those skills are the route to higher-paying jobs and to providing business with the talent they need to compete in the world.
“I am pleased to announce that Maggie Philbin, a woman who has dedicated her career to science and technology - helping young people play their part in Britain’s economic future, has agreed to head a new taskforce addressing this skills gap. Her report will be independent and her advice made available to all parties before the next election because it is vital that whoever forms the next government makes giving young people the tools they need to succeed in the digital world of tomorrow.”
Maggie Philbin said:
“I am delighted to be leading this Digital Skills Taskforce on how Britain might encourage our brilliant young people to develop the skills of the future. Britain has led the world in new technologies for decades but we need to make sure we do everything to maintain that success by training and developing the talents that our country needs. I would like to emphasise that this is a completely independent piece of work which will be shared with all political parties to inform future policies as they see fit.”