6.8 Young people and adults need certain skills to develop and maintain their employability. These are:

• working with other people;

• effective communication, including written skills;

• the ability to work with numbers;

• the use of information technology;

• developing learning skills; and

• problem-solving.

6.9 We want to enable young people and adults to gain these key skills in higher education, colleges and the workplace, although adults may not always want to gain a formal qualification. These skills can be learnt throughout life and to any level. They are as relevant on the shop floor as they are in the boardroom. There is merit in seeing communications, numeracy and IT as basic skills - essential for all - up to level 2 and in seeing key skills as the development of these and the others we have mentioned beyond that stage.

6.10 The Dearing committee on higher education recommended that communications, numeracy, the use of information technology and 'learning how to learn' should be part of all higher education programmes. We are working on this proposal with higher education and employer bodies and will fund a number of pilot projects. We are also looking at how work experience within higher education could help those who are not undertaking a vocational degree. This will assist us in promoting enterprise, innovation, self-motivation and job creation.