The Education Secretary has written to Skills England outlining the government’s priority for skill development in the coming year.
Bridget Phillipson is “delighted”, she says, that the flagship learning organisation is now fully established. She reminds it of its role in supporting economic development and helping people find jobs.
Skills England, a new organization was created two weeks after July 2024’s general elections with the mission to bring together “the fractured skills landscape”.
The goal is to bring together the government, local authorities and employers with training providers, trade unions and training providers to create a coherent skills strategy. This will allow employers to rely less on foreign workers and develop domestic talent.
Phillipson, in her Letter, urges Skills England “to co-design new approaches to improve the skill of our workforce by collaborating with many interested parties from across the system of skills, including devolved counterparts when appropriate”.
Skills England’s chief executives Tessa Griffiths and Sarah Maclean have four main requests:
First, the strategies should be data driven to allow government departments to make informed decisions about labour market policies in different sectors and areas. It includes publishing an annual assessment of skills.
She adds that Skills England should then use the insights gained to guide the development of “the right skills training” on a local and a national level.
The letter states that “this should include cocreating and refining occupational standards to underpin a set qualifications and training products, with employers and other partner organizations to ensure employers are driving training needed to meet labour and economic needs and deliver our missions.”
Skills England should simplify the access to skills including technical education and apprentices. This will reduce bureaucracy within the system and eliminate duplication.
It must improve employer engagement in technical training and “ensure that Skills England is a quality employer experience”.
Skills England must “mobilise responses” to skill gaps by working with unions, employers and higher and further education providers, among others.
The Labour Market Evidence Group, Migration Advisory Committee and the Local Skills Improvement Plans are all part of the process to boost the domestic skills pipeline.
Phillipson asks Skills England to help “significant international mobile investors” navigate the UK’s skills offer, and to provide them access to key partners.
She concludes, “This agenda is urgent. It’s central to the missions of the government.” I know that you will build upon the momentum of Skills England in its shadow form and firmly establish Skills England at the heart of our national skill landscape.
In recent weeks the government’s strategy on skills has been criticized, especially a decision made last week to stop funding Level 7 Apprentices except if they are younger than 22.
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