3 Resources |
3.2 Intermediate and higher level skills |
Why is it
significant?
Globalisation
and the knowledge economy have also expanded the need for a more highly
trained workforce.
How does the UK perform? The UK�s deficit in vocational qualifications is clear when compared with our main competitors. The Skills Audit[1] shows that despite improvements over the period 1994 to 1998, the UK still some way behind Germany and France in terms of the percentage of the workforce with level 2 and above vocational qualifications (Chart 3.2.1). The UK has one-third fewer people qualified to level 2 than either France or Germany and only half as many people qualified to level 3 or above than Germany. Although the proportion of 19 and 21 year-olds holding level 2 and level 3 qualifications has been increasing, further progress needs to be made if the Targets are to be met.(Chart 3.2.2). However, while the UK under-performs in attaining qualifications, there is some evidence that UK young people are relatively successful in utilising their knowledge and skills in meeting real-life challenges. The Programme for International Study Assessment found that the UK�s performance was significantly above the OECD average in all three of the subjects covered � reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy (chart 3.2.3).
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[1] Report to the Department of Education and Employment: Updating of Skills Audit Data 1998, London School of Economics and Political Science, January 2000.
Last updated on 12 March 2002