Skills Pledge unlikely to meet future needs

<p>The CIPD is unsure whether the Skills Pledge will meet the skills need of the 21st century. </P><p>Speaking at an event yesterday, its chief economist John Philpot also said that the UKs poor productivity was the Achilles heel of the economy and that the employability of young workers is a big contributing factor to the current skills crisis. </P><p> There are critical problems in the supply of labour from schools and colleges, and its down to overall employability the lack of soft skills, he said. Employability levels are not increasing at anything like the rate of increases in qualifications. </P><p>Also speaking at the ACAS and CIPD Building Successful Workplaces event was Dame Carol Black, national director for health and work, who suggested employers and doctors should be working towards electronic fit notes, instead of sick notes. She also said that union representatives should have a health and wellbeing role within organisations, on top of their current safety role.</P>