What was the Leitch Review of Skills?
The introduction to the final report of the Leitch Review of Skills (December 2006) included the following statement: Our nation’s skills are not world class and we run the risk that this will undermine the UK’s long-term prosperity. Productivity continues to trail many of our main international comparators. Despite recent progress, the UK has serious social disparities with high levels of child poverty, poor employment rates for the disadvantaged, regional disparities and relatively high high income inequality. Improving our skill levels can address all of these problems. Numeracy figured significantly in the report. For example: • Out of 30 OECD countries, the UK lies 17th on low skills, 20th on intermediate skills and 11th on high skills • 17 million adults in the UK have difficulty with numbers • More than one in six young people leave school unable to read, write or add up properly This means that out of a total population of 60 million, 28% of adults (approximately 3 in every 10)
