Plan to address skills shortage brought forward

The three-year strategy is set to be debated by Tynwald in May

A plan to address the Isle of Man's skills shortage will create an employment "landscape that is well-understood, agile, dynamic and employer-led", the chairman of the board behind it has said.

The Skills Strategy sets out four goals including identifying the skills needs in the island and strengthening the opportunities available to gain and develop skills in demand.

The three-year plan has been designed to support a government pledge to encourage the creation of 5,000 new jobs across by 2032.

Independent chairman of the Skills Board Peter Reid said access to relevant learning and skills development opportunities must be aligned to the needs of industry if current and future skill needs were to be met.

The strategy has been developed by the Isle of Man Skills Board, which is made up of representatives from the government and employers.

The document sets out an aim to identify the skills gaps in the island by collecting data, which would enable the forecasting of future needs.

'Shaping a community'

The plan also outlines a need to engage with employers about how they can be supported in upskilling their workforces, and to promote lifelong learning by developing vocational pathways, reviewing apprenticeship and vocational assistance schemes, and monitoring the quality of what is on offer.

Ambitions to make sure the island is a welcoming place to attract and retain workers with ongoing reviews of relocation incentives, enhance opportunities for graduates and young professionals and support those with additional barriers to work, also feature in the document.

Working to those goals, the strategy sets out plans to consult employers over the curriculum mix offered by schools and University College Isle of Man, and for the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce to create forums to educate employers on employability and transferable skills by the end of June 2025.

That would be followed by the establishment of mentoring partnerships with employer champions of vocational learning a year later.

Chamber chief executive Rebecca George said the three-year plan would lead "to a future where talent meets opportunity, shaping a community poised for success".

The strategy is set to be debated at the May sitting of Tynwald.