New skills campaign will capture the imagination of millions
		Chris Banks, Chairman, LSC The most ambitious campaign ever, to raise the aspirations of millions of people, is about to begin. This week, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), together with its partners at the new Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), will launch a five-year marketing and communications campaign designed to inspire people to take control of their future through learning. "Our future. It's in our hands" will be the theme of a campaign which will empower and equip individuals and employers to fulfil their potential. Lord Leitch didn't pull his punches when he published his review of the UK's long-term skills needs in December last year. "Without increased skills, we would condemn ourselves to a lingering decline in competitiveness, diminishing economic growth and a bleaker future for all," he said. "The case for action is compelling and urgent." Lord Leitch pointed out that low skills levels can hold back productivity and growth. He also outlined that by 2020 skills attainments at all levels should be increased - so that 95 per cent of working-age adults have basic literacy and numeracy skills, more than 90 per cent have Level 2 qualifications, the number of apprentices doubles and more than 40 per cent of adults are skilled to graduate level and above. It is precisely to address the concerns highlighted in the Leitch Review of Skills that the skills campaign is being launched now. The campaign will act as a "call to action" and I hope create a real "buzz" around the importance of skills, the benefits and the need to encourage people to take control of their lives through learning. The ambition is that we create a lasting, memorable and actively supported campaign - with the message "Our future. It's in our hands" being used and developed by all partners in their own communications and advertising about learning and skills across all types of Further Education. The message can be easily adapted for employers, young people, adults and stakeholders.		If the country, its individuals and organisations are to achieve progress in this competitive marketplace, skills levels will need to increase further and faster than ever before. So, we need to change people's and employers' attitudes to learning and highlight the importance of skills for individuals, employers and the nation as a whole. I believe that the LSC is ideally placed to lead this campaign. We have already achieved or exceeded every target set for us by Government. There are record numbers of young people engaged in education and training, record numbers of people who have achieved their first full Level 2 qualification and record numbers of apprentices. We now want to move Apprenticeships up to the next level and double the number of apprentices. This means we need more demand from young people and adults, as well as more employers who understand the value apprentices can bring to their business. As Lord Leitch reminded us, over 70 per cent of our 2020 workforce has already completed compulsory education. This means that to improve their skills to Level 2 and beyond, we need to provide opportunities via employers. Businesses across England have already reaped the benefits of Train to Gain, one of the LSC's employer-focused services. Train to Gain provides employers with free and impartial advice on the skills training available in their area and ensures that this training meets the need of the business. In its first year, more than 40,000 businesses signed up to Train to Gain, exceeding the original target and showing how successfully the Skills Brokerage service has engaged with businesses. Not only that, feedback about the service has been overwhelmingly positive. In June this year the LSC also announced the next four sectors selected to join the expanding National Skills Academy network, which means that we will reach the Government's target of representing 12 sectors by 2008. National Skills Academies aim to drive up the standard of industry training, improve productivity and tackle skills shortages across England by providing vocational education and training tailored to meet the specific needs of industry sectors and those who work in them. "Our Future. It's in Our Hands" aims to transform the way people think, feel and act about learning and skills so that over time, the demand for it, and investment in it, both in terms of time and money, from basic skills to Levels 2, 3, 4 and beyond, is improved. The LSC, working in close partnership with Government departments and stakeholders, is already helping to ensure that the skills campaign's key messages are consistent and powerful. A		high-profile and eye-catching series of advertisements - on TV, radio and in the press – will attract widespread attention and raise awareness about the need to improve skills levels. The strapline of the campaign "Our future. It's in our hands" has been designed to talk to people as adults and empower them to transform their lives. The artwork on the TV and outdoor adverts features a series of painted hands forming shapes to reflect the different messages put across. We want the advertisements to trigger discussion about the importance of training and learning and how people can go about improving their skills. But creating the demand for better skills is just the beginning. It's vital, too, to ensure that colleges and learning providers up and down the country continue their excellent track record and translate that demand into relevant and even better learning and training. Individuals and employers will be able to discuss their skills needs and aspirations with trained call handlers who will refer them to the most appropriate range of help and support and give advice on programmes such as Apprenticeships, Train to Gain and Further Education courses. They'll also be able to find out about funding through programmes like the Adult Learning Grant (ALG) and Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), as well as tailored information and advice through nextstep, learndirect and local services. In this way, the skills campaign will act as an umbrella message for everything that Further Education can provide for employers, adults and young people. The advertising, press and PR campaign starts on Monday 9 July, with the employer campaign for Train to Gain launching one week later on Monday 16 July. It will continue over the summer and early autumn, with a second phase in early 2008, so that information, planning and recruitment periods for training and courses throughout the year can be fully maximised. With a host of exciting developments underway, there has never been a better time for people to develop their skills and improve their career and life opportunities. Chris Banks Chairman Learning and Skills Council