Career-long skills system set out by think tank


The future of the skills system in Scotland is the subject of a report from the IPPR think tank.


Nearly 80% or over 2.5 million adults of working age in Scotland today will still be of working age by 2030. At the same time, over 46% of jobs (1.2 million) are at high risk of automation. The country will therefore need a skills system ready to work with people throughout their careers, the think tank says.


The report’s recommendations include a proposal for a new Open Institute of Technology (OIT) for Scotland. This would provide a new mid-career learning route, with a mix of online and face-to-face provision delivered through existing providers, in a fully flexible, transferable and modular approach. 


The IPPR also wants to see new tripartite agreements introduced between learners, employers and skills providers. Employers would agree to a form of career progression if learners meet certain learning outcomes, and in return the skills provider would fund provision (through public funding). 


In addition to its own recommendations, IPPR Scotland sees a need for the Scottish government’s current enterprise and skills agency review to bring greater regional alignment to the skills system as well as the need for the Scottish government’s ongoing learner journey review to reduce duplication across and within learning routes.


www.ippr.org/publications/scotland-skills-2030