1
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
(0:56 people's noises)

2
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
(check who) 1.17 We've got one hour
and a quarter.

3
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
(confused voices then 1:31) How do we know
when these things are going to be turned on?

4
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
(confused voices, then1:58) What? OK? 
Right.

5
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
(Chairperson 2:03) Ladies and Genltemen, 
can I ask everyone

6
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to take their seats, please?

7
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We're about to begin, 
so if you're visiting the bar,

8
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
can you charge your glasses and return 
to your seats, and then we'll begin.

9
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We've got an hour and a quarter
for this debate.

10
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
OK, can I -- Welcome everybody to
the Online Educa OEB debate.

11
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I'm not sure what number this is
in the series of debates that we've had,

12
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I think it may be getting up to our 10th.

13
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
What I can tell you is that in the time
that we've been having these debates

14
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and that I've been chairing them, 
my eyesight has now gone so bad

15
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that I can't possibly read any notes
that I have without using glasses, so

16
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I think we must be on at least our 10th.

17
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
What I can also tell you is that 
Online Educa itself, OEB,

18
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
this year is celebrating 
its 21st anniversary.

19
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So I think that perhaps deserves
a round of applause.

20
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So happy birthday to Online Educa --
(Applause) -- this fantastic conference.

21
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And 21 years ago was a very difficult --
very different world indeed,

22
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
when one thinks about the scale and scope
of change that there --

23
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that has taken place in the last 21 years.

24
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
One statistic I was reading recently was 
that in the UK, in 1994, 21 years ago,

25
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
there were only 67 mobile phones
per 1000 people.

26
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But only ten years later, in 2004,

27
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
there were more mobiles in the UK 
than people.

28
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And that pattern of spread 
of mobile communications alone

29
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
has spread across the world and 
in Africa, for instance,

30
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
those of you who have been to 
Elearning Africa will have learned about

31
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
the spread of mobile communications
across the African continent.

32
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So in terms of the scale 
of technological change,

33
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and the spread of that change 
across the world,

34
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
the change in that short period of time,
in these past 21 years alone,

35
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
has been enormous, and we heard about

36
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
the scale of it in the opening 
plenary session this morning.

37
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We live in a world that is globalized,
interconnected, hyperlinked

38
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and that scale of change we're 
experiencing, have experienced

39
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
in the last 21 years, is going to
gather pace and continue.

40
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And all that is going to create a huge 
challenge for education and training,

41
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
which is going to be at the heart

42
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
of dealing with both the positive and 
negative aspects of that change.

43
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And that's why the motion that we're 
dealing with today, in this debate,

44
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
is so important, and why the whole subject
of giving young people the skills

45
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that they need to cope with 
the challenges of this new world

46
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that we all are going to --
that we are creating, is so important.

47
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We've got four speakers, 
four panel speakers

48
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to open the debate this evening

49
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and I'm going to ask each of them 
to speak for 10 minutes,

50
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and then I'm going to --

51
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
-- two of them will speak for the motion, 
obviously,and two against --

52
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
then I will throw open the debate 
to all of you,

53
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but if you want to intervene
whilst they are speaking, because

54
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
we're having a parliamentary-style
debate,

55
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
then you can try to intervene on them

56
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and if they want to take 
your intervention,

57
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
then they can do so, but it will be
entirely up to you.

58
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And if they don't, then you can draw
whatever conclusions you want from that.

59
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But I want to ensure that 
we keep the flow going,

60
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
so I'm not going to let you bully them
but I'm going to allow you,

61
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
if you want to make a particular point,

62
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
or if you want to make 
a short intervention, to do so.

63
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Then after they've spoken, we'll
throw open the debate to the floor

64
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and you can make your contribution,

65
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but do please realize that time 
is of the essence,

66
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
so please try to keep it short and 
to the point, succinct.

67
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
This is the kind of debate equivalent
of texting.

68
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So, no long rambling contributions, 
because I will cut you off

69
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
if you try to do that.

70
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So, very short contributions, please.

71
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And then I'll ask each of our --
I'll ask one speaker from each side

72
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to sum up, and then we will take a vote,
and we'll do that by a show of hands.

73
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And I've also made it clear 
to all the speakers that they may

74
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
say things that they don't necessarily 
want to be held to in the future,

75
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
so I hope that you will understand that.

76
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But this is an opportunity for us 
to explore some of the issues,

77
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but don't take it all too seriously,

78
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and don't come and accuse people of saying
things that you would --

79
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that they might not necessarily always 
want to be held to.

80
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
With that in mind, I'm going to ask
our first speaker, who is Jo Swinson.

81
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Jo Swinson, who is the former Minister
for business, innovation and skills

82
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
in the UK's coalition government of
2010 to 2015,

83
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to speak first for the motion.

84
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And Jo, since leaving Parliament, 
has begun a new career

85
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and is involved in an award within
a data intelligence company

86
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
called Clear Returns

87
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and she is an expert on the challenges 
and opportunities of the digital age.

88
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So, over to you, Jo.

89
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
(Jo Swinson) Thank you very much indeed,
Harold.

90
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And I'm absolutely delighted to be here
in Berlin at OEB.

91
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
A bit of a first, actually, the first
technology-related conference

92
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that I've been to where there is a queue
in the ladies' loos!

93
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I have to say I was particularly pleased 
by that, not only as a feminist,

94
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but also as a Brit who appreciates
the art of queuing.

95
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So it was good on two fronts.

96
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So, this house believes that 
21st century skills aren't being taught,

97
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and they should be, is the motion
that I want to convince you

98
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to support this evening.

99
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We absolutely need to be equipping
our young people,

100
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and indeed, people at every stage
of their lives,

101
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
with the skills that they need 
for the 21st century.

102
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And our education systems, 
and our wider society,

103
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
have an important role to play in this.

104
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But I will put it to you, this evening,
that when it comes to technical skills,

105
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
when it comes to social skills,
and vitally,

106
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
when it comes to capacity 
to embrace change,

107
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
we are not yet rising to that challenge
sufficiently.

108
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
There are very specific skills, 
there are gaps in science and technology

109
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that are not being properly filled. 9:32

110
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
These shortages are causing
significant problems

111
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
for businesses, for employers.

112
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Half of engineering companies say that
they have delayed taking forward

113
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
new products or services, because 
they have vacancies

114
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that are so hard to fill, because
the skills are not there to recruit.

115
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Digital start-ups are often in real need
of software developers

116
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that they cannot find sufficiently.

117
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And companies of all sizes, grappling with
cybersecurity challenges

118
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
struggle to have the skills that they need
to take on those important issues.

119
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
As Harold mentioned, I'm now a director
of a company called Clear Returns.

120
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It's been going for about three years,
based in Glasgow, and uses data analytics

121
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to help retailers understand the problems
they have with product returns

122
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and therefore successfully cutting 
the costs for retailers,

123
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and resulting in better 
customer satisfaction. 10:33

124
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But in our technology team of 17 people,
there are 12 different nationalities

125
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and not one of those people went through
the school education system in the UK,

126
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
because the skills are not taught 
up to scratch.

127
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Now, there have been some improvements
and as to 2014,

128
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
computer science has been introduced into
the curriculum in the UK,

129
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but that is not the end of the matter. 1100