Clearview National April 2017 - Issue 185 | Page 115
BUSINESSNEWS
THOUGHTS IN THE INDUSTRY
Ben Brocklesby,
Director at Origin
There were no major shocks in
Chancellor Philip Hammond’s
Spring Budget, especially for
the manufacturing industry. I
do think, once again, it was a
positive statement of intent from
the government. It shows the UK
economy is on the mend, which is
fantastic for a family-run business
like Origin.
We were thrilled to see that
the government is planning to
introduce a series of qualifications
known as T-Levels. Chancellor
Hammond announced that there
would be an additional £500
million a year given to technical
and vocational education,
designed to be more relevant to
employers’ needs. This is music to
our ears.
Ever since we hosted our
‘Homes of the Future’ roundtable
in 2015, we have been calling
for the government to start
encouraging fresh blood into the
construction industry. This will
fill the skills gap that is being
created as the older generation
retire. The introduction of
T-Levels, which will see the
number of hours’ training for 16-
to 19-year-old students increase
by more than 50 per cent, will
go a long way to correcting
this issue. It will also make sure
workers in the manufacturing and
engineering sector are work-ready
once they qualify.
As we prepare for a future
outside of the EU, it is heartening
to see the government looking
to build from within. As always,
Origin will continue as usual,
relying on the product quality
and the unbeatable service we
provide, as well as unrivalled lead
times on our systems.
Carolyn Fairbairn,
CBI Director-General
“This is a breakthrough Budget
for skills. There has never been
a more important time for the
UK to sit at the global top table
of technical education for young
people. Firms will be looking
for ongoing partnership with
the government as they try to
make the Apprenticeship Levy
work. However, with inflation
rising and the cumulative burden
weighing on businesses’ shoulders,
limited relief for firms hit hard
by business rates falls short.
Firms are wholly committed to
the health and wellbeing of their
people, and are pleased to see an
increase in spending on social
care. Businesses will be pleased
to see the Chancellor’s continued
watchful eye on getting the deficit
down and avoiding surprises.”
On technical education,
Carolyn said, “Firms are
delighted by the Chancellor’s
announcement, as the number
of teaching hours for technical
subjects is fundamental to
delivering world class training for
our young people in every part of
the UK.
“With the majority of people
who will be working in 2030
already in the workforce now, the
focus on adult skills provision will
put this type of training on the
right path to major and necessary
improvement.”
Brian Berry,
Chief Executive of the FMB
“The Chancellor clearly
understands that the UK won’t
address the productivity challenge
unless we rethink our approach to
technical and vocational education.
T-Levels could be the answer if
they genuinely rival A-Levels in
the eyes of parents, teachers and
young people. UK society has
been guilty of putting too much
emphasis on the academic route
– this has made it more difficult
for vital sectors like construction
and house building to attract
the talented people we need. In
construction, we are suffering from
a severe skills shortage and this is
likely to worsen once we leave the
EU and no longer have easy access
to European labour. This £500
million funding announced today
for T-Levels is therefore a welcome
and much-needed boost.”
Berry concluded: “The
government has made the right
decision to row back on its plan
to hike up National Insurance
Contributions for the self-
employed. At a time when we
need to do everything we can to
ensure economic stability, this
would have been a destabilising
tax increase, which would have
hit large numbers of tradespeople
on quite modest incomes. That
would have felt very unfair and
would have been in danger of
undermining the entrepreneurial
spirit Britain will need to rely
on as we approach the economic
uncertainty of Brexit.”
www.gov.uk/government/
speeches/spring-budget-2017-
philip-hammonds-speech
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