Halton must bridge the skills gap

Dec 10 2008 By Alex Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

Runcorn Widnes Bridge _320

Halton is working hard for a better workforce – but there is still a way to go, says Alex Turner

THE towns of Widnes and Runcorn, in Halton, are divided by the River Mersey, and it could be said the gap between the ambitions of the borough and its residents is similarly wide.

However it is a suggestion that David Parr, Halton Borough Council’s chief executive, rejects.

"It’s a bit unfair," he said. "We have worked very hard with our local communities to raise aspirations and ambitions. When we look at the performance of our schools – which is among the most improved in the last couple of years – it speaks volumes about our young people.

"But what we mustn’t under-estimate is we have a very challenging community that does not have the level of skills employers are looking for, so the work we are doing with colleges and universities is very important.

"We have got some long- term challenges, but we are trying to tackle those."

The newly-published Halton Economic Review 2008 – commissioned by the council and produced by Pion Economics – has reached a more stark assessment.

In its analysis of the borough’s labour market, the report’s authors suggest a lack of ambition exists in some sectors of the population, and concludes that, despite a decade of benign economic conditions, "the most deprived areas may even be falling behind" and the profiles of young people not in education, employment or training "suggest a high risk of intergenerational inactivity and under-performance".

The report continues: "Such structural inertia represents a fundamental challenge to the future local regeneration agenda."

This feeds into a second faultline in the economic changes within Halton – a long-term skills shortage.

Once again, the report does not shy away, stating "it is unlikely that local businesses will meet their higher skill needs from Halton."

This is crucial because, although much progress has been made within the borough, there is a sense that Halton’s residents are often secondary beneficiaries of its regeneration.