It’s not too late for the UK to raise its game on skills

I read your report of Chris Humphries’ China trip with much interest (‘Smog, skills and spices’, Personnel Today, 8 July).

Research just completed by the Institute of Leadership and Management confirmed that the UK needs to take swift and positive action to address its attitude towards training and the development of skills in the workplace.

The study of managers from the UK, US, France and China found that the UK management population appears under-qualified, under-developed, and less interested in improving their knowledge and performance compared to their Chinese counterparts.

There are signs that decades of economic success and prosperity have made managers in the West complacent, and now the global balance of economic power is shifting, those businesses and managers that are unable or unwilling to change and progress will fall by the wayside.

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We do need to work hard to build a workforce that can compete with the world’s emerging economies, but it’s not too late. Recognising the challenge is the first step to making a positive change for the future.

David Pardey, senior manager, research and policy, Institute of Leadership and Management