Sir John Egan has called for the establishment of a National Centre for Sustainable Communities Skills to improve training in sectors involved in realising the communities plan. The ODPM-commissioned Egan Skills Review, published today (April 19), calls for the Centre to be supported by a taskforce comprising professional institutions, national organisations and skills bodies representing the core occupations. It will be responsible for developing generic skills, identifying gaps, reviewing education and training opportunities for core occupations and encouraging more entrants into these professions. Deputy prime minister John Prescott welcomed the findings: "The Egan Skills Review shows that vision, strong civic leadership, and the right skills are the key ingredients for creating sustainable communities. "We need a cultural change in professional skills and training, as Egan acknowledges. To do this, all occupations involved in delivering sustainable communities will need to work together. "Further progress will depend on changing everyone's attitude, behaviour and knowledge." An electronic version of the report is available at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentservertemplate/odpm_index.hcst?n=3933&l=2