“Cradle to grave strategy" required for human capital success

Monday 07 February 2022

An industry leader is calling for more “joined-up efforts” without the turbulence of “personal agendas” as the States prepare to debate a Human Capital Development Plan this summer.

The Plan is taking a multi-decade approach to transform how residents of the Bailiwick develop through all stages of life. This includes but is not limited to their skills and knowledge as well as personal qualities which contribute to their personal and civic wellbeing.

Susie Crowder is a Director at Grant Thornton and leads their human capital advisory team. She is also a founding director of the charity Bright Futures which aims to aid individuals with new approaches to lifelong education.

Ms Crowder told Express that she and other interested stakeholders have been lobbying the States for several years to establish a substantial human capital strategy. She anticipates soon being identified as a key stakeholder to advise the States on the development of the Plan they are now preparing.

Ms Crowder hopes to see “a cradle to grave human development strategy" - from children having opportunities to thrive at school through to graduates making the most of college or university and to employees having the skills which employers need in the economy of the 21st Century. 

She hopes the States will remain focused on what is important to benefit the Bailiwick and that politicians will avoid using a debate about human capital development to "score cheap political points".

Pictured: Susie Crowder is hoping to help the States with proposals to promote lifelong learning and ensure the people of the Bailiwick have the skills and knowledge necessary to sustain economic prosperity.

The creation of a Human Capital Development Plan is earmarked as a top priority in the States' Government Work Plan, which was approved by the States' Assembly last year.

A recent progress report on the Government Work Plan stated that “work is underway to establish clear data on the current skills gap in the island as well as the future skills gap in relation to the economy to enable the States to consider evidence-led proposals".

Deputy Heidi Soulsby, Vice-President of the Policy & Resources Committee, spoke briefly about the plan in a speech in the States on 15 December 2021. She placed particular emphasis on the importance of statutory education and support for vulnerable children.

“Investment in human capital starts with how well we look after our island's children," said Deputy Soulsby.

"The Government Work Plan supports vulnerable children through revising the Children Law in alignment with the recently extended United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child."

Deputy Soulsby also announced plans for a pilot scheme to improve adult basic numeracy and literacy skills. The States have since provided further details on the scheme, which is delivered by the Guernsey Institute. 

Pictured: Deputy Heidi Soulsby announced plans for an adult education scheme in December 2021. The Guernsey Institute has been given responsibility for the pilot for local adults.

“This will use a model of widening participation sessions, offered out in the community and workplace. There is evidence to demonstrate that taking the learning to the learner has a strong impact on engagement and helps overcome barriers,” said the States.

“The benefits of skills development and lifelong learning are multifaceted and accrue in many ways across the economy and society.”

The States say that phase one of the Human Capital Development Plan is “underway”, led by a skills project board comprising members of the Committee for Economic Development and the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture. 

Express understands that Deputies Sasha Kazantseva-Miller and Sam Haskins are the respective Committee leads for the project. It is believed that a cross-Committee presentation, delivered by the project board, on the progress made thus far will take place this month in private. 

Recommendations are being formulated for the two Committees to present to the States. There is currently little detail about the content of the Plan. They want to “ensure that the Committees have an opportunity to review and respond to its update before it provides any comment on the specifics of its work to date".

Phase two of the Plan will implement directions set by the States' Assembly after a debate later this year. 

Pictured: Deputies Sasha Kazantseva-Miller and Sam Haskins are leading the development of a Human Capital Development Plan.   

Ms Crowder said that a core problem within education generally is a disconnect between academic accomplishments and practical life skills. She hopes this is addressed in the States' Human Capital Development Plan. 

“There are lots of people with amazing degrees or PhDs but they know nothing about business or real life,” she said.

“So the lobbying has tried to introduce an element of vocational training and learning into academic qualifications, so they can be academically successful but also to be successful in everyday life.”

She said that issues in skills and knowledge are not limited to early-life education and that more support is needed to provide opportunities for those wishing to return to work such as parents as well as those considered retired but still willing to work.

“We have no age discrimination; we force people into retirement," said Ms Crowder.

"We’ve got a shortage of human capital and in some cases we’ve got people who want to carry on working. Their date of birth would suggest they are of retirement age historically, but they have decades more to give."

Asked whether any further investment would be required, Ms Crowder emphatically said "yes". She wants the States and the private sector to work to “bring to life some very good quality innovative learning solutions from cradle to grave".

Pictured: Susie Crowder says Guernsey should not be afraid to learn from approaches to human capital development elsewhere, such as in Singapore.

She highlighted Singapore as a jurisdiction where she said the public and private sectors have worked together to deliver positive human capital outcomes.

“I hope we won’t be too proud to do something like they’ve done - and if it's worth copying and pasting in a contextualized way for the Bailiwick then there’s no harm in doing that.”