Employment

We need the skills for the information technology age for the next generation jobs. We need a national skills base as a critical component of a national comparative advantage. We need to equip our people with an enhanced knowledge base through education, as intellectual capital will be the key to prosperity and stability. Flexible and transferable skills will be the great human resource in our society.
Capacities for lifelong learning will be absolutely vital for a dynamic, quality and spirited civilisation and culture. The new jobs of the future will be increasingly in new industries, and we need to ensure our people can both engage in those industries and develop them for us as a nation. (Extract from Julie's maiden speech to Parliament on 23 November 1998)