EY named founding member of Skills Taskforce for Global Britain

• New taskforce aims to improve the quality of the UK’s skills economy to help attract inward investment to the UK

London, Wednesday 19 May 2021: EY has been named as a founding member of the new Skills Taskforce for Global Britain, which is focused on creating a world-leading skills economy in the UK. The taskforce launched today and has been commissioned by an independent charity, WorldSkills UK, and is chaired by former Director General of the CBI, John Cridland CBE.

The taskforce launch follows the Government’s commitment to use a skills-based economy to drive growth, productivity and ‘levelling up’ in Global Britain to fuel a post-pandemic recovery from now until the end of the decade.

Josie Cluer, EY’s Lead Partner for Learning and Skills in the UK, is a founding member of the taskforce. Commenting, Josie said: “Skills are key drivers of social inclusion, productivity, economic growth and inward investment, and will therefore play a critical role in the UK’s long-term recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s positive to see businesses, Government and the third sector coming together to focus on this important issue. We are delighted to be a founding member of the Taskforce for Global Britain, through which we hope to help chart a course to create a world-leading skills economy by 2030.”

Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann, OBE, CEO of WorldSkills UK, who is overseeing the taskforce, adds: “For UK industry to attract the inward investment we need to grow, be internationally competitive and create high quality jobs  - we have to develop world class skills. Failure to do so means we will not only fall behind our global competitors, but also let down the next generation. We are delighted to be working with EY on the taskforce, which will put in place a roadmap to help ensure Global Britain prospers in the post pandemic economic surge through to 2030 powered by growing world-class talent.”

Alison Kay, EY Managing Partner for Client Service in the UK and Ireland, says: “The availability of quality of skills is one of the most important factors investors consider when they are deciding where to locate. The launch of today’s taskforce will help to boost the breadth of capabilities in the UK’s workforce and its attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investment, which will become ever more competitive as countries begin to build back post pandemic.”

Notes to Editors

Members of the Skills taskforce include: John Cridland CBE (Chair), Josie Cluer (Partner EY), Baroness Ruby MacGregor-Smith CBE (President British Chambers of Commerce, non-exec Board Member Department of Education), Neil Rami (Chief Executive West Midlands Growth Company), Chris Sutton (Welsh Government’s Ministerial Advisory Board for the Economy, former Chair CBI Wales), Linda Urquhart OBE (Non-executive Director Coutts and Edinburgh Airport), Stephen Burgin (Former Vice President GE Power Europe, Pro Chancellor Staffordshire University), Andrew Hodgson OBE (Former Chair of North East Local Enterprise Partnership, Airbus and BAE Systems), Dr Ann Limb CBE (Independent Business Chair of the UK Innovation Corridor), Marie-Therese McGivern (Strategic Investment Board Northern Ireland, Skills Advisory Board Belfast Region City Deal, Chair Belfast Maritime Board), Dr Adam Marshall (Adviser, CMI and Flint Global, former DG British Chambers of Commerce).