The Director-General said:

“In the current trade debate, it’s more important than ever that we take the time to understand the challenges that exist on the ground and hear from companies and the workers themselves. 

“In the end, trade matters because it creates jobs and improves lives. However, as technology transforms the economy this creates new challenges and makes education and continuous skills training particularly vital. This is how the workforce will continue to compete in the years ahead. 

“Meeting with the talented apprentices at the Rolls-Royce site in Berlin underlined this point. Facilities like this import hundreds of components from dozens of countries. Each engine they produce represents high-skilled jobs around the world — not just in Germany.”