Business groups are demanding a raft of industrial strategy interventions to boost productivity
Business groups are pushing the government to dramatically boost productivity through a raft of plans to back infrastructure growth, hiring and training.
A government consultation has seen lobbyists deluge Greg Clark's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy with demands to boost the UK's economy.
Theresa May's desire to publicly reintroduce industrial strategy to the UK's politics has seen MPs question exactly what the Prime Minister has in mind, and now business groups have seized the opportunity to help define the plans.
The British Chambers of Commerce called on the government to brand its industrial strategy with the sense of “a national mission”, and mooted new public sector spending on infrastructure, and a revamp of the UK's planning laws.
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Among other demands, the CBI called for boosted funding for training outside of schools and universities through apprenticeships to foster growth across the UK.
“To this challenge, the UK's companies hold many of the answers – building a skills system for years to come, ensuring Britain is a leading location for cutting-edge innovation and helping to renew our nation's infrastructure,” the CBI said.
It also demanded a “sector-led” approach, with the government supporting sectors in which the UK already holds a competitive advantage.
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However, in its own submission, the Institute of Directors warned that any moves to grow local skills must also consider the need for firms to recruit from abroad in the meantime.
“While training UK workers for the skills our employers need is the right thing to do, education and training takes time, and, in the interim, employers will still need straightforward access to skilled migrants,” the IoD.