Party Conferences: Skilling up cities - Is the UK up to the job?

Date: 09/2008
End Date: 09/2008

Centre for Cities Skilling up Cities fringe events, within Urban Hub, sponsored by Laing O'Rourke

Centre for Cities, with Laing O'Rourke, hosted Urban Hub's first fringe event on skilling up cities with Lord McNally, Liberal Democrat Leader in the House of Lords, Niels Kriek, from Laing O'Rourke and Councillor John Shipley (Newcastle City Leader).  Attendees debated the potential pitfalls of work placements, the future of further education and the challenges of attracting more young people into construction and growing sectors in UK cities. 

At Labour party conference, Centre for Cities and Laing O'Rourke hosted a fringe event on skilling up cities with John Denham (Skills Secretary), Lord Peter Smith (AGMA Chair), and Tony Douglas (Chief Operating Officer at Laing O'Rourke).  Chaired by Centre for Cities' Dermot Finch, debate centred on the role of employers in skills provision, skills accreditation, and how further education provision can meet the needs of business.

At Conservative party conference in Birmingham Centre for Cities and Laing O'Rourke held a session on Skilling Up Cities with James Clappison (shadow employment minister), Lucy de Groot (IDeA executive director), Ken Taylor (Coventry city leader) and Laing O'Rourke's Tony Douglas.  Chaired by Centre for Cities' Dermot Finch, the session explored apprenticeships, university education vs vocational qualifications and devolution of welfare and skills provision.