One of the reasons I have been so excited to return to the Department for Education is because it has, to my mind, the greatest potential to deliver change. I’m not just talking economically, vital though that is. No, it is its huge capacity for change on a human level, to make sure everyone has the means to live the life they dreamed of, doing a job they’ve always wanted.
This government is committed to breaking down the barriers that prevent that, to building a society where your ability to achieve and thrive is not destined by your background. We’re determined to drive opportunity and growth, which relies on people having the right skills to flourish in life and work.
The prime minister has been quite clear: he wants skills to be respected and valued, and for education to be for everyone, no matter at what age or what stage.
For this to happen, we need to develop a culture of lifelong learning. Putting economic growth and skills at the top of the agenda is a no-brainer. The two are co-dependent.
And here’s why that is so important: we have a chronic skills shortage. Around 8.5 million adults don’t have basic English and maths skills; our technical skills levels are among the lowest in the OECD; and the number of skills shortages doubled between 2017 and 2022.
If we had not acted immediately, the long-term consequences could be catastrophic. So here’s what we’ve done:
The autumn budget allocated an extra £300m for the further education sector; £950m of capital skills investment, including £300m for the capital estate. There will also be funding for the public sector—including colleges—to support them with the additional cost of changes to employers’ national insurance contributions.
But that’s just the start. In December, we set out our plans for post-16 qualifications. This review was to make sure learners over 16 have a range of excellent options to choose from a streamlined system that is simpler to navigate than the current one.
One of our main objectives here was to make sure that we keep a vital pipeline of talent going into key sectors under the government’s plan for change. So around 70 per cent of the remaining qualifications that were due for defunding, such as those earmarked in digital, construction and agriculture, have been reprieved for the moment.
Our mission is to put the needs of learners and our economy at the heart of everything we do, which also means working collaboratively across government. For instance, we worked with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Treasury to publish the Get Britain Working white paper, which supports our ambition for an 80 per cent employment rate.
We are introducing a youth guarantee, to provide tailored support to those 18- to 21-year-olds who need it. This will help more young people to make the most of local education, training and employment support and opportunities, wherever they live.
We are going to rejuvenate the careers system by creating a new jobs and careers service that will offer everyone access to good, meaningful work, and give them the support they need to progress in that work once they’ve got there.
And we have recommitted to introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement from January 2027, which will allow people to develop new skills and gain new qualifications at a time that is right for them.
Starting on 10th February, we will be celebrating National Apprenticeship Week. This annual celebration brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
I hear constant feedback on how organisations benefit from apprenticeships. Channel 4 has told us how these enable the broadcaster to engage with a new generation of TV talent; while construction companies such as Viessmann in the West Midlands believe apprenticeships help to attract top industry talent.
But we have also heard from too many businesses and individuals who have been unable to benefit from the current system, so we are taking action to change that.
Our levy-funded growth and skills offer will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers in England. It will be aligned with our industrial strategy in creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries. In particular, we know that too many young people, who have the most gain to from apprenticeships, haven’t been able to access these opportunities.
So, we are developing new foundation apprenticeships, to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives, at the same time as supporting a pipeline of new talent that employers will need to help their businesses grow. Foundation apprenticeships will be a work-based training offer providing young people with clear routes into further work-based training and jobs.
In the same way as industries evolve, our provision for those aged over 16 must evolve with it, remaining alert to the changes that are occurring this year, next year and even further down the road. That’s why I announced last year that the government will set out a post-16 education and skills strategy—a long-term vision for our skills system.
Of course, we won’t achieve this cultural shift overnight, but we have made the start we need to make further changes rapidly and efficiently.
The Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz once said: “Development is about transforming the lives of people, not just transforming economies”. It is a view we share, and one that is guiding everything we do.
