Proskills conference postponed

THE first Proskills national conference, scheduled to take place on 25 September at The Belfry in the West Midlands, has been postponed. Sir Digby Jones, now Lord Jones, who was to have been the keynote speaker, has relinquished his role as UK Skills Envoy and pulled out of the event following his recent appointment as Minister of State for Trade and Investment.

Proskills’ board said the participation of a senior government representative was a key ingredient of the conference at a time of radical government-led change in training and skills provision, however the timing of the event, which clashes with the Labour Party Conference, meant that no government ministers were available.

As a result, the board has decided to postpone the autumn conference and rearrange it at a later date when conditions will be more favourable for getting the right speakers in place. Proskills apologises for any inconvenience this may cause and says those people who have already booked will be fully reimbursed in due course.