The government will enlist the help of business to help it
develop skills opportunities to meet the government's mission to
kickstart economic growth under the Plan for Change,
Education Secretary has said today.
In a conference call with leaders from over 80 businesses
including Mace, Siemens and Disney, Education Secretary and Business and Trade
Secretary outlined the importance
of engaging with employers to drive growth and put the economy on
firm foundations.
Both ministers set out their priorities to reform the fragmented
post-16 skills system and to establish Skills England to support
key sectors driving growth in local areas.
It follows the Department for Education's announcement that the
government has unlocked £140 million of funding from
industry, including £100m from the National House Building
Council (NHBC), to set up 32 Homebuilding Skills Hubs. This will
make more than 5,000 apprenticeship places available per year in
key construction roles.
The conference was attended by three major construction firms:
Balfour Beatty, Berkley Group and Mace. Their engagement coupled
with these pioneering Homebuilding Skills Hubs will help the
government to meet its ambitious target to build 1.5 million new
homes in this parliament.
Employers will be at the heart of the government's skills reforms
such as our new levy-funded growth and skills offer. This will
introduce greater flexibility to employers and learners in
England, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing
industries, aligned with the government's Industrial Strategy.
It will also support the pipeline of new talent that employers
will need, by rebalancing opportunities towards young people.
The Education Secretary also set out how businesses can help the
government to achieve its mission to break down the barriers to
opportunity, through offering high-quality apprenticeships or
industry placements to ensure everyone has the chance to succeed
no matter who they are, where they're from, or how much their
parents earn.
Education Secretary, , said:
“If we are to deliver on our Plan for Change and achieve our
number one mission to grow the economy, we must develop the
skills this country needs.
“To do that, we need to take skills seriously again as a country,
rebuilding our fragmented and broken system into one that's
rigorous, responsive and puts employers at its centre.
“That's why we are establishing Skills England to help identify
the skills we need to drive economic growth. We will create a
clear and coordinated strategy for post-16 education and skills,
making sure it works with employers to meet the needs of the
future.
“Today's call gave me the chance to reiterate this government's
commitment to giving businesses the stability and confidence to
enable them to invest in developing skills.”
Business Secretary said:
“British workers are some of the most skilled and talented in the
world but far too many people are not getting the opportunities
they deserve, while businesses are failing to get the staff they
need because the system isn't working.
“Through listening to the needs of business and aligning Skills
England with our Industrial Strategy, we're helping employers
overcome barriers to invest in skills that will help deliver this
government's Plan for Change and improve living standards.”
urged employers to drive
up their investment in training, working with government to
counter the downward trend since 2011.
The call comes after the Department for Education recently announced that
qualifications that will be key to the government's growth
mission in key subjects like manufacturing and
engineering that were previously scheduled for defunding will
remain until replacements become more established, putting
learners first and supporting the transition to T Levels as the
large technical qualification of choice.
The government will also introduce more flexibility
for industry placements, ensuring even more students can take
advantage of the opportunities available from high-quality T
Level qualifications.
