The Stage

Chit chat: Taken to task for ignoring the tusks

Published Tuesday 3 November 2009 at 10:50 by Tabard

Last week, the great and the good of the National Skills Academy gathered in Shakespeare’s Globe. They were there to enthuse invited employers and others, whom they hoped to engage as ‘ambassadors’ for the project.

Enthusiasm was certainly in the air, particularly from Ric Green, vice chairman of the NSA board and looking more than ever like the subject of a Van Dyck portrait.

And all was going swimmingly until one of the delegates trotted out that old cliche about people ignoring the elephant in the room. He was quite right in the sense that the real cost and source of funding for the NSA’s apprenticeship plans had not been fully discussed.

The problem was that displayed in the corner of the Globe’s Balcony Room - where the event was taking place - was an Indian artefact.

Yes, you’ve guessed it - there really was an elephant in the room.

Tabard hopes that the failure of any of the speakers to capitalise on this happy chance is not a sign that the NSA will miss future unexpected opportunities as they present themselves.