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Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s People and Places Board, responded to research by Totaljobs which found that 41 per cent of workers in their 50s feel there is a lack of opportunity to make a career jump 

“This report highlights how vital it is that we provide opportunities for people of all ages to increase skills levels and help adults retrain and upskill so we can drive up productivity and start to close local skills gaps.

“As working lives extend and our economy changes, adults – those in work and looking for a career change, those vulnerable to redundancy, and those wanting to return to work after ill-health or caring responsibilities – need support to be retrained, upskilled and supported into local jobs.

“New national initiatives like the National Retraining Scheme are a positive step, but they must be part of a system which brings together other initiatives including the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

“Councils and combined authorities play and important role in their communities, working with local and national partners, to both stimulate and meet demand for skills development, through targeted engagement and delivery of a relevant, flexible, local offer.

Notes to editors

1. Councils in England face an overall funding gap of £8 billion by 2025. The LGA’s #CouncilsCan campaign aims to influence the forthcoming Spending Review and highlight the growing risk to vital local services if the Government does not take action to secure the financial sustainability of councils. Visit our campaign page for more information.
2. In July 2017, the LGA launched Work Local – an ambitious but practical vision for devolved and integrated employment and skills provision.
3. The LGA has put together a series of Skills Taskforce roundtables designed to bring together industry experts and sector representatives with an interest in making our skills and employment system as effective as possible. For more information click here.
4. Working with the Cities and Local Growth Unit, the LGA has commissioned a comprehensive support offer to councils looking to play an active role supporting Local Enterprise Partnerships and Combined Authorities in the development of a Local Industrial Strategy. Further details are available here.

Report:  Solving the UK Skills Shortage