Many Essex firms believe any new Government needs to get to grips with the skills crisis blighting business.

They say that despite the huge sums thrown at the problem, the shortage of employable skills is making it harder for business to employ the right people.

John Clayton, chief executive of the Essex Chambers of Commerce, said: "The only way most firms manage is to train their own people.

"This is despite the number of training providers and Government-sponsored schemes to improve the situation.

"It all seems to stem from the shortcomings in education and it isn't helped by the number of schemes available which often confuse rather than assist employers.

"Many seem to overlap in function and end up competing with one another."

The view is echoed by the Essex Institute of Directors whose chairman, Nicholas Cook said: "There are huge sums spent but not properly targeted.

"More should be directed at vocational courses at colleges of further education which are best able to offer the right training.

"Too many courses are still more academic than practical."

He also criticised the continued stress on "sexy" studies, such as travel and tourism and media courses.

"We cannot develop a thriving society unless we encourage more people to work in engineering in all its forms and at all levels," he said.

Concern over skills levels was contained in an Essex University study showing that one in five adults in the South-East could not read properly and had inadequate numeracy skills.

They included 200,000 in Essex.

Published Wednesday February 9, 2005

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