Northerners lacking skills to cope in coming age of automation says think-tank

PEOPLE IN the north of England and the Midlands are falling behind in gaining the skills they need to cope with changes in the workplace, according to a new report.

Research by Centre for Cities showed “stark discrepancies” in skills across the country.

Place such as Liverpool, Hull, Burnley and Mansfield, plus Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, are likely to lose more than a fifth of current jobs to automation by 2030.

The share of pupils achieving decent school grades in maths and English in these areas was below the national average, the think tank said.

Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said action was urgently needed and we could not afford to waste another decade.

And he said adult learning had been in decline for many years so more investment in education and training was needed.

He said: “Automation and globalisation are transforming the world of work but too many people across the country aren’t gaining the skills they need to thrive in future.

“Urgent and concerted action is needed to address these issues and to develop an education system which is fit for the future at all levels.

“Further government cuts to education and training budgets will clearly exacerbate these issues but we also need to ensure that current funding is used more effectively. In particular, the government should give cities more flexibility over education spending so that they can better meet the needs of their residents.

“Above all, politicians at all levels need to wake up to the scale of the challenges posed by automation.

“Adult learning in particular has been in decline for the last 15 years – we can’t afford another lost decade if we are to provide current and future workers with the skills they need to prosper.”

The Centre for Cities says it works to understand and improve UK city economies.