City & Guilds’ latest podcast identifies lifelong learning as key to productivity

As part of our mission to empowering individuals, organisations, and economies through skills development, we investigate the key issues impacting on the skills sector through our ‘Navigating the UK’s Skills Challenges’ podcast series.

09 December 2024

In partnership with the Lifelong Education Institute, City & Guilds recently published its Productivity report, ‘Making Skills Work’, which included research revealing that a significant number of working-age adults and senior business leads identified skills gaps which hampered productivity gains, and did not feel they had the skills required to meet future industrial challenges.

Bryony Kingsland, City & Guilds’ Stakeholder Partnerships & Policy Manager, interviewed Kirstie Donnelly MBE, CEO at City & Guilds, in the latest ‘Navigating the UK Skills Challenges’ podcast, which explores the role of lifelong learning in helping people remain employable and productive at all stages of life. Together they discuss a range of themes around this topic, in an episode including:

  • Potential changes to the Lifelong Learning Entitlement
  • How employers can work with training providers to boost skills development
  • How regional differences in access to skills can be addressed
  • The challenges and opportunities represented by developments in the job market, including AI and Green Skills

Interviewed for the podcast, Kirstie Donnelly said; 

“Too many people leave school without the skills and direction they need to enter meaningful work and careers in their region, and then don’t have the opportunity to upskill throughout their life. It’s mission critical that we put that right, and better match people’s skills and potential with opportunity.

What’s important to maintain is that learning and development isn’t just for school leavers – many jobs and careers change over time. And those that are in and out of the workforce need consistent upskilling.”

Listen to the podcast, Lifelong Learning: The Key to Wealth Creation