04/04/2014 East Midlands Today

And now the news for the East Midlands, I'm Maurice Flynn. The

problem of scarlet fever is still increasing ` with more cases of the

infection in the East Midlands than anywhere else in the country.

Nationally, concern is growing about its spread. According to Public

Health England, almost 900 new cases were reported last week ` that's the

highest weekly total for scarlet fever in 30 years. Amy Harris

reports. It is the right rash that gives

scarlet fever its name. `` red rash. It is the most in the

country, beating numbers in the West Midlands and even London. We were

the first part of England to recognise this, so we wrote to GPs

seem, we think there is scarlet fever about. Please look for it and

tell us, and they have. We work with GPs to make sure the treatment is

right, we work with schools and nurseries to make sure that infected

children are excluded until they are on antibiotics. The figures given

indication as to where the cases are. Derbyshire has the most cases

and Leicester has the least. Scarlet fever is a bacterial illness and

symptoms take two to five days to appear after initial symptoms of

sore throat, headache, high temperature and rash. In most cases,

it can be treated with antibiotics. If you think your child has scarlet

fever, take them to the GP, get the antibiotics. The good news is

children with the disease make a quick recovery. They can be back in

the playground soon after starting treatment. Before antibiotics, they

were kept in isolation for weeks or months. Italy is spotting scarlet

leave early and treating it quickly. `` the important thing is spotting

scarlet fever early and treating it quickly.

Business leaders are warning growth in the East Midlands' economy could

be choked ` by a shortage of skilled workers. They say some school

leavers may not even qualify for apprenticeships, because they lack

basic maths and reading skills. Our political editor John Hess reports

on one scheme backed by the Government which matches expanding

businesses with young workers who have the right training and skills.

Repairing cracked pavements and filling in potholes is unglamorous

but essential work, and for a 19`year`old Adrian, it is a job

opportunity through a new apprenticeship scheme. It gives me a

new set of skills and hopefully I will get a career out of this. The

rate of youth unemployment in the East Midlands stands at 20%, but

more significant is the number of young people neither in education,

employment or training, which stands at 74,000. That has gone up by 3000

since the Coalition Government came into power. This bit of kit is also

used for oil. This company makes adulteration equipment that cleans

up fuel and they plan to expand, but a lack of engineering skills and the

local jobs market, especially in basic maths and science is becoming

a headache. It is tricky. People are out there, but it is hard to find

them. A former civil servant be offered a solution. His programme is

creating an alternative job centre for firms needing skilled staff. We

need to do the right thing right now to impeach young people. As the

regional economy hots up, the Warriors now if we have enough

skilled workers ready for the revival.

Well, the Education Secretary Michael Gove was in Leicestershire

today and he acknowledged that the skills gap is a big problem. Here's

our Chief News reporter Quentin Rayner.

For a man who is used to making sparks fly, you might think a lesson

on electricity was appropriate for Michael Gove. He was visiting a

number of schools today, including lime harassed Academy in

Loughborough. He is aware of the concerns of business leaders over

the shortfall in literacy skills. I spoke to Chamber of Commerce members

and I said eradicating lack of literacy in humidity was my number

one priority. We have come a considerable way and the quality of

schools is significantly better than it was for five years ago. Last

month, he condemned education leaders in Nottingham for a toxic

lack of ambition after schools were placed in special measures. In an

open letter he was called on by union leaders to work with them to

improve the schools rather than criticising from the sidelines. We

are investing money, backing rate head teachers. The people carping

from the sidelines are at the councils. It is a pity there are

some people of the local authority, instead of acknowledging the skill

of the problem, want to shoot the messenger. With further strike

action threatened by teachers this summer, the Education Secretary is

bracing himself for a further opposition to his reforms.

And the Sunday Politics for the East Midlands is taking a closer look at

our skills shortage. That's from 11 o'clock this Sunday with Marie

Ashby, here on BBC One. And in football, tonight's result at

the King Power Stadium could see Leicester City promoted this

weekend. They beat Sheffield Wednesday 2`1. The Foxes still need

other results to go their way tomorrow. That's your news and sport

` I'll have more for you over the weekend. So goodbye from me ` here's

Anna Church with your weather. Equality has been improving and with

the help of greenery from the Atlantic this weekend, it will

continue to improve. It looks like a cloudy weekend and you should be

prepared for rain. Those of 70 Celsius tonight. Some patchy rain

first thing tomorrow and then it looks like it's fairly dry for a

while. Some dry spells, just very little brightness and highs of 14

Celsius. On Sunday, more rain. Saturday is definitely the better

day. In a few moments, well. The national weather forecast

comes from Peter Gibbs.