The UK Government has announced an exciting launch of a new body to meet the skills needs across all regions. The new body, ‘Skills England’ according to the GOV.UK website, will “transform opportunities and drive growth.”
It is vital that learners are equipped with the knowledge, skills and level of confidence to meet the needs of the sector they’re choosing to work in. This underpins the purpose of the new Skills England body as GOV.UK mentions Skills England will support local areas to “develop the skilled workforces they need – in particular, across construction and healthcare.” There appears to be a strong emphasis on skills being integral for economic growth and boosting learners’ potential by breaking down barriers to opportunity.
There is also a stressed importance on gaining a picture on skills gaps nationwide and doing this by unifying businesses, trade unions, mayors, universities, colleges, and training providers. It will identify the training for which the growth and skills levy will be accessible. The announcement also mentions adult education budgets will be simplified and devolved to mayoral combined authorities to ensure that they can address their adult skills needs directly and support growth in their areas.
The next steps for establishing Skills England:
- The first phase of Skill’s England’s launch: Setting up the organisation in shadow form within the Department for Education and start working on an assessment of future skills needs, with an importance of creating strong relationships with employers. A permanent board, Chair and CEO will be appointed in due course.
- The route for employers to shape skills training is currently offered by the IfATE, (The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education). Which is an employer led organisation that helps shape technical education and apprenticeships in the UK. According to GOV.UK, IfATE’s functions will transfer to Skills England, as part of the new organisation’s broader remit. IfATE will continue its important work in the interim as the transition of functions to Skills England is finalised.
- Skills England will hold responsibility for maintaining a list of levy-eligible training to ensure value for money, and that the mix of government-funded training available to learners and employers aligns with the identified skills needs.
- The government will also bring forward a comprehensive strategy for post-16 education to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our industrial strategy.
Has this article got you thinking about offering your learners extra skills in a new sector? Please give us a call on 0333 3447388 or contact us via email: info@focusawards.org.uk
