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06 December 2006

Commenting on the recommendations, Kim Parish, Chief Executive of ILM, said:

'The Institute of Leadership & Management warmly welcomes the priority given to intermediate and higher level skills development in the Leitch report. For too long the UK skills agenda has focused exclusively on lower level skills building at the expense of the managerial, leadership and enterprise capabilities required to compete in the global market place. Shifting the intermediate skills goals from Level 2 to Level 3 is a step in the right direction. In achieving this goal Leitch sets out the important role that the new Specialised Diplomas will play and new targets for Apprenticeships, but we also need to do more to include, and focus on, those adults without a Level 3 qualification.

As Leitch acknowledges it is the higher level skills which drive growth, facilitate innovation and are crucial in achieving world class management and leadership. Whilst it is great we have a challenging target for adults qualified to Level 4 it is disappointing that a Level 5 target was not set.

We support the emphasis on involving employers more fully in the skills agenda. As Leitch recognises this doesn't mean responding in the same way to all employers as they inevitably face different challenges. The extension of the Leadership & Management programme to employers with between 10 and 20 employees is a good way of increasing the participation of small enterprises in management learning, but the programmes must be appropriate. The Institute of Leadership & Management has tailored qualifications for the enterprise sector, recognising that one size does not fit all.

Leitch highlights that a greater proportion of UK Managers hold low-level qualifications compared with those in other higher level occupations, with 41 per cent of managers holding less than a Level 2 qualification. Clearly something needs to be done. Improving management and leadership is a key objective for the majority of businesses. Already management and leadership has been highlighted as a critical skill need in nearly all Sector Qualification Strategies. But as a cross-sectoral occupation, there is no Sector Skills Council (SSC) for Management, and this is a serious handicap in moving ahead on the managerial skills agenda. Management qualifications must have both a common core and be capable of being contextualised in different sectors if employers are going to invest in them. Already the Institute of Leadership & Management is developing an approach to qualifications that does just that.

The recognition that improved management capability cannot just be achieved through the current model of HE but from workforce development goes a long way to recognising the valuable contribution that many learning providers and employers, together with professional institutes and awarding bodies already make to the high level skills agenda. Higher level management and leadership skills is not just about MBAs but development programmes in industry that deliver learning and organisational performance in bite-sized chunks focusing on real problems and not case studies. Professional organisations like the Institute of Leadership & Management have a pivotal role in encouraging continuous professional development to drive up the quality of management. Membership of professional organisations is one way of individuals demanding more of themselves and are affordable routes for individuals to invest in their own skills development.

Leitch suggests that Sector Skills Councils should be able to directly approve employer provision, subject to quality assurance, as a solution to achieving real employer focus. Professional institutes, many of whom are working with higher level skills too, have a real role here. The Institute of Leadership & Management already formally recognises the best of employer developed provision at intermediate and higher levels with more than 30,000 UK managers and leaders achieving ILM Awards for in-company programmes. Such tailored provision developed by employers but recognised by professional bodies is an additional route to Leitch's suggestion.

The Leitch review sets out a clear call for action if the UK is to take its rightful place on the global stage. By giving attention to higher and intermediate skills as well as lower level skills we have the opportunity to drive innovation and productivity. Being mediocre is not an option.'

ENDS

Further information

Please contact Matt Adcock on 020 7294 3054 (office) or 07711 872753 (out of hours) / email: matt.adcock@i-l-m.com

About the Institute of Leadership & Management

The Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) is part of the international City & Guilds group. ILM is the largest provider of management education qualifications in Europe, building the skills of over 90,000 managers and leaders each year.

All ILM qualifications are designed to deliver practical business benefit to the individual, their team and the organisation they work for. ILM's qualifications are delivered by 2,000 further education colleges, universities, training providers and companies in the UK and globally.

ILM is the professional membership body of choice for over 25,000 forward thinking managers and leaders providing a wide range of member benefits, support and development opportunities throughout their career.

City & Guilds (http://www.cityandguilds.com/ ) is the expert and leading authority in vocational education and training - both in the UK and beyond.

In operation for the last 130 years, City & Guilds is the UK’s leading awarding body for work-related qualifications. Twenty million people in the UK have City & Guilds qualifications, and the organisation awards a further 1.5 million qualifications to learners every year.

City & Guilds also enables people to develop essential leadership and management skills through its Institute of Leadership and Management, which is the largest provider of management qualifications in Europe.

City & Guilds creates prosperity from skills for individuals, business and nations within and beyond the workplace.