NEW FRAMEWORK AIMS TO BUILD COUNCILLORS’ SKILLS

The core skills needed by councillors have changed since the publication of the Government’s Local Government White paper, according to the Improvement and Development Agency, It also believes surprisingly little attention has been paid to the knowledge and skills councillors need in spite of the fact that theirs is one of the most complex roles in politics or the wider world of work.

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CALL FOR BIG CHANGES IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Vocational training is failing thousands of young people, according to a paper published today by the Centre for Policy Studies. It has been written by John Hayes, the Shadow Minister for Vocational Education, who says the failure of the system is a result of a lack of clarity about its purpose.

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This report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development reveals that musculoskeletal conditions are the number one cause of time lost due to sickness absence, but mental ill health is the second largest cause of absence in UK organizations. Stress, depression, and anxiety account for over 50% of the mental health problems.The findings highlight the huge impact mental health problems have on the workplace with employees taking on average 21 days for each mental health related sickness absence spell. The average length of time off for an employee suffering depression is 30 days for each absence spell and 21 days for someone suffering from stress.

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