Prosper Autumn, Black Country Chamber of Commerce magazine

BUSINESS VOICE: SKILLS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Skills are the foundation stones
of economic and societal success
Skills sit at the heart of regional
growth and success says
James Norris, Assistant Principal
at Walsall College
Skills: an omnipresent item in the news
agenda. Those which are in demand; those
in decline; and the industries suffering a
skills gap.
The inherent links between skills and
individual employability, and skills and
business productivity, are indisputable.
However, the importance of nurturing a
strong focus on, and commitment to, skills
development goes far beyond simply this.
A meaningful focus on appropriate skills
development drives aspiration and
encourages potential. It empowers which,
in turn, impacts positively on health, crime
and more generally an individual’s
opportunity to contribute to wider society.
In short, skills sit at the heart of a town and
a region’s growth and success potential.
Walsall and the wider Black Country has
a rich heritage born from its central role in
The Industrial Revolution. The Black
Country of the 18th and 19th centuries,
however, is in stark contrast to that of the
21st century. The demise of coal mining,
coupled with the decline in most heavy
industry has created a region that is today
widely recognised as among the most
deprived – both socially and economically
– in the country. Not only has the industrial
landscape changed, but so too has the
high-street with a significantly declining
retail offer.
Full-time workers in Walsall earn, on
average, £518.50 gross per week compared
to £550.80 across the wider West Midlands
region and £587 nationwide. Full-time
female workers, meanwhile, earn £100 less
per week compared to male workers, and
there is a similar trend for part-time workers.
Levels of poor mental health in Walsall
(19.4%) are higher than the regional
average (18.8%), and 1 in 8 children aged
5-19 in Walsall are estimated to have at
least one mental health problem.
Academic achievement in Walsall schools is
also below average: 36% of pupils here
achieve maths & English grade 4-9,
compared to 43% average nationally.
Indeed, as part of the Government’s
Levelling Up agenda, Walsall has been
identified as one of three ‘pathfinder areas’
where the intention is for local employment
and skills services to be more closely aligned to
tackle the conundrum of high unemployment
coupled with high vacancy levels.
This paints a gloomy picture and
whether it’s perception or empirical fact,
there’s no denying that Walsall has many
deeply entrenched challenges. These
aren’t, however, insurmountable.
Skills development has a vital role to play
in addressing these challenges and here at
Walsall College we’re acutely aware of our
responsibility in this respect. Our students
today are tomorrow’s employers and
employees. They need us now more than
ever. Indeed, the whole Walsall community
needs us. But we can’t achieve this alone
and here I call on the business community
to support us in our mission.
As a community-wide institution, we’re
already working closely with the Black
Country Chamber, our local authorities, the
West Midlands Combined Authority and, of
course, employers in both the public and
private sectors to provide the skills
necessary to increase regional and national
economic prosperity and contribute to the
success of our communities. But there’s
always more to be done.
The importance of future workforce
planning cannot be underestimated, and
the value to be gained by driving greater
levels of innovation is undoubtable. As a
college, we are committed to growing our
Level 3, 4 and 5 provision; we will continue
to offer flexible curriculum pathways from
entry level courses through to Higher
Education; and we will facilitate smooth
and seamless transitions for students
progressing through differing course types.
But to deliver this successfully, it is
imperative that the region’s businesses
recognise their responsibilities too.
Valuing apprenticeships and other
vocational pathways is a must and there is
no room for sitting on the fence.
Workplace readiness can only be achieved
when young people are given a chance to
experience the workplace as part of their
studies and training. This requires the
support of employers. A college can
provide the technical knowledge, but it
‘‘
Our students today are
tomorrow’s employers and
employees. They need us now
more than ever. But we can’t
achieve this alone and the
business community must
support us in our mission.
‘‘
cannot provide the experience, and until
more employers step forward to help with
this, we’ll remain in stalemate.
This is not a point for discussion: it’s an
immediate need for action. Indeed, if we
address this now, if we get this right now
and continue to get skills delivery right,
then not only are we doing all we can to
drive forward the economic potential of the
region, but we’ll also witness a positive
upturn in the region’s aspirations and, in
turn, crime levels, health and prosperity.
If you’re a business leader wondering
what you can do, there are a multitude of
ways to get involved and the best first step
is to get in touch with your local training
provider or FE college.
36 PROSPER AUTUMN 2022