With a recent change of Government, the Department for Education has asked us to provide details on new ministers and policies that will affect apprenticeships and skills…
Ministers
Bridget Phillipson MP is now the Secretary of State for Education.
She has been the MP for Houghton & Sunderland South since 2010. In 2020, she joined the Shadow Cabinet under Kier Starmer as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, before being appointed Shadow Education Secretary in November 2021. She was born and raised in the North East, attended local schools, and joined the Labour Party at the age of 15. She then read Modern History at Oxford. She also takes on responsibility for Women and Equalities.
Both Rt Hon Jacqui Smith and Catherine McKinnell MP have been announced as Ministers of State in DfE – although their exact portfolios have not been published yet. It is believed Jacqui Smith will be responsible for skills (including apprenticeships), further and higher education – but that is still to be confirmed.
Policies
Before the election, Labour figures spoke about their plans for skills and apprenticeships extensively. In its published Manifesto, Labour stated it would:
Establish Skills England to bring together business, training providers and unions with national and local government to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver Labour’s Industrial Strategy. Skills England will formally work with the Migration Advisory Committee to make sure training in England accounts for the overall needs of the labour market.
Reform the Apprenticeship Levy through the creation of a flexible Growth and Skills Levy, with Skills England consulting on eligible courses to ensure qualifications offer value for money.
Establish a youth guarantee of access to training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work for all 18- to 21-year-olds.
Commit to devolving adult skills funding to Combined Authorities, empowering local leaders to have greater control of skills development in their areas, alongside a greater role in supporting people into work. Skills England will co-ordinate between local areas to ensure everyone can access all the opportunities available.
Transform Further Education colleges into specialist Technical Excellence Colleges. These colleges will work with businesses, trade unions, and local government to provide young people with better job opportunities and the highly trained workforce that local economies need.
Guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person and improve careers advice in schools and colleges.
Bring Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service together to provide a national jobs and careers service, focused on getting people into work and helping them get on at work. This will ensure the service is responsive to local employers, inclusive for all users, and works in partnership with other local services.