Warning over Weston skills gap

12.00.00am GMT Mon 26th Oct 2009

New figures released by the University and College Union have shown big gaps in skills and training in Weston-super-Mare compared with other parts of the UK.

While many people in the Weston-super-Mare workforce have basic skills, local campaigner Mike Bell has raised concerns over the low number of highly skilled workers.

Only 25.81% of working age people in the Weston-super-Mare area have a degree level qualification or above, compared to a national average of 29% and 40% in the Woodspring constituency which covers Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead. Weston is ranked 352nd out of 628 constituencies studied.

The national average percentage of people of working age with no qualifications in a constituency is 12.4%. In Weston-super-Mare constituency the figure is 5.48% - putting Weston 37th best out of 628 constituencies.

Mike Bell, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Weston-super-Mare, said: "The local economy could benefit from a higher skilled workforce. With more qualified workers, bigger and better businesses will be attracted to town to create more and better local jobs.

"Weston College is doing a great job in widening access to higher education, but we need to see more investment from Government to help them to succeed in establishing a range of university level courses in town.

"In an increasingly competitive economic environment, local young people want to have decent opportunities locally and it would be scandalous if the Government failed to assist them in this aspiration."

Details of the UCU report can be found here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4220&from=1676&start=11