Posted: 03/02/2012
Guernsey's Skills Strategy has received a major boost with the key appointment of a well-qualified expert to lead the group that will implement the strategy. Dr. Elaine Monkhouse (pictured), an independent coach and consultant, and someone well known and respected within the business community, met and exceeded the criteria for the position and impressed the interview panel with her ideas on how best the role could be performed. Dr Monkhouse was previously a partner of KPMG in the Channel Islands, an organisation with a strong commitment to learning and development, and for whom she continues to provide training support at an international level.
The Chairman of the Skills Guernsey Policy Group is Deputy Carla McNulty Bauer, the Commerce and Employment Department Minister. She said, ‘Dr Monkhouse was a very strong candidate in a very strong field. Heading up the Skills Guernsey Implementation Group is an absolutely key role as Dr Monkhouse will drive forward the actual implementation of the Skills Strategy. The role also has a longer-term aspect to it, with Dr Monkhouse helping develop future strategy and she will be a member of the Skills Guernsey Policy Group to have input into this process. Furthermore, the interview panel was impressed by her commitment to engaging with all the relevant business, community and educational groups.'
Implementing a skills strategy for the island is a major governmental project that will closely involve the business community and lead to an improvement in the amount, quality, relevance and take-up of skills within the Island's workforce. This was identified as a key target by the Frontier Economics consultancy, which was commissioned by the Commerce and Employment Department to review the skills environment in Guernsey.
Deputy McNulty Bauer added, ‘A Skills Strategy for Guernsey is a fundamental component of the States Strategic Plan, and links into objectives in both the Economic and Social Policy plans. The unanimous support for the plan in the October 2011 States debate demonstrates that the States is committed to improving Guernsey's skills base which are critical for economic success and important for social cohesion. The key aims of the Skills Strategy include increasing participation, improving education and training opportunities and upskilling the workforce. This has the capacity to make a major positive contribution not just to the Island economy, but improving skills also of course helps businesses and the individuals who work for them. The benefits are felt across the whole community.'
Dr Monkhouse said, ‘I'm very much looking forward to starting the role and helping to develop Guernsey's skills base. If one looks at how well the Guernsey economy has performed, even in difficult times, there's a great deal to be proud of, but there are many areas where Guernsey could yet improve its collective business skills. We still have people unable to participate, and at the same time we have to bring scarce expertise on to the island. This is an area where Government and business can and should work well together.'
Applications will shortly be sought for three business and community representatives to support Dr Monkhouse in the implementation of the Strategy.
It's expected that the first full meeting of the Skills Guernsey Implementation Group will be in March 2012.