John Howell
The budget recognised two things. First, that we are on the brink of a technological revolution. Second, it was a budget that recognised that we need to raise our productivity. We have three million more people in jobs than in 2010, but we need to make sure that our productivity growth is strengthened.
There are several ways in which we can do this. One of them is by the provision of the right skills and training and this is why the budget contained important measures to that end. It launched a partnership between three organisations—the government, the CBI and the TUC—to set out the strategic direction for a National Retraining Scheme which will give people the skills they need. This is crucial, as over the next 20-40 years the risks of automation are going to hit many jobs. People have a choice here of obtaining new skills for the future, or of being left behind.