An expert adviser has been appointed to support the government's
mission to unlock opportunities and drive economic growth through
adult skills policy.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has appointed as a skills policy adviser.
He will help the government maximise the impact of adult skills
policy in England following its transfer to the Department for
Work and Pensions.
The part-time unpaid appointment starts in January 2026 and will
last for 6 months, with the option to extend.
Praful is the founder and director of the Good Growth Foundation,
a think tank focused on inclusive economic policies. Previously,
he sat on Labour's Council of Skills Advisors, which worked to
better prepare individuals for the workforce.
Established processes for the declaration and management of
interests have been followed.
Additional informationTerms of
Reference:
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Role: is appointed as the DWP
Secretary of State's Skills Adviser.
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Duration: The appointment will begin on 12 January 2025 and
will conclude on 10 July 2025, with the possibility of
extension.
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Role specification: The postholder will work with civil
servants and Special Advisers on the policy underpinning
DWP's Skills agenda, with a particular focus on growth. This
will include supporting the Secretary of State to make best
use of the transfer of adult skills policy for England into
DWP in relation to unlocking opportunities that support the
Government's goal to increase opportunity and drive economic
growth. Working with academics, economists and other expert
stakeholders on how to maximise growth, economic investment
and returns. They will also consider how to ensure the skills
agenda supports our labour market objectives of creating
opportunities for participation, progression, and
productivity. The postholder will also work with Ministers,
Special Advisers and officials to strengthen stakeholder
relationships and with other government departments with an
interest in adult skills.
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Resources: The postholder is unpaid and will work in the
department a minimum of 2 days a week. They will work closely
with civil servants across the relevant parts of the
department.
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Governance and ways of working: The postholder will work
closely with officials on a confidential basis, having access
to relevant official and Ministerial papers. The postholder
will update the Secretary of State as required.
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Conflicts of interest: A full declaration of interest process
has been conducted in the usual way for direct ministerial
appointments. appointments and mitigations have been agreed
to minimise any potential, actual or perceived conflicts. The
postholder will comply with the measures and mitigations set
out by DWP's Permanent Secretary, with support from the
Propriety and Ethics Team if required.
Job Description
The postholder will seek to:
- Ensure DWP Secretary of State has access to high quality
advice on growth, which to inform and embed the new policy area
of adult skills and to use this to inform and complement the
wider context of DWP's work on the labour market.
- Enhance DWP's skills engagement with academics, economists
and other expert stakeholders.
- Drive and support innovative thinking in terms of how adult
skills can help the government to increase opportunity and drive
economic growth.
