- Setting out case for transformational change
Major structural reforms are required to the current way skills
are delivered in Scotland, according to an independent review of
the system.
The report of James Withers’ Independent Review of the Skills
Delivery Landscape outlines recommendations to ensure the
public sector can meet the level of economic transformation
expected in the years ahead.
Key recommendations made by Withers include:
- the creation of a new single funding and delivery body,
bringing together functions from Skills Development Scotland
(SDS), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and, possibly, the
Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)
- giving the enterprise agencies a clear remit for supporting
businesses, with workforce planning as an embedded and integrated
part of business development and planning
- ensuring there is a clear remit for the new qualifications
body – the successor to the SQA - in overseeing development and
accreditation of all publicly funded post-school qualifications
- moving responsibility for national skills planning to the
Scottish Government
- reform of SDS to create a new body with a singular focus on
careers advice and education
The Scottish Government initiated the Withers review in August
2022, seeking recommendations on how the public body landscape
should be adapted to drive forward Ministers’ ambitions for a
skilled workforce – as set out in the National Strategy for
Economic Transformation (NSET).
Minister for Further and Higher Education said:
“This review is comprehensive and the direction of travel
it points us towards is very helpful.
“I am extremely grateful to James Withers for the broad and
extensive range of work he has carried out to assist us in
developing a skills offering fit for the years ahead.
“It is encouraging to see the good work of public sector partners
acknowledged in the report, however it also sets out a clear
case for extensive change so that we have a lifelong education
and skills system in place which serves the needs of learners,
employers and our future economy.
“I am supportive of the broad direction of travel James Withers
identifies but will take a little time to consider fully the
detail of the recommendations and the practicalities of
implementing them.
“As a key part of that process we will, over the next few months,
be engaging directly with the organisations, agencies, trades
unions and other stakeholders covered by the recommendations to
obtain their input before embarking on reform of the public body
landscape and skills offering.”
Mr Withers said: “Our skills delivery landscape should
aspire to be world-class and the recommendations in this report
are developed to make a significant further step forward on that
journey.
“There is much that is good in the current system which has
served Scotland’s needs well over the past fifteen years. The
scale of change I am proposing reflects the scale of
transformation facing us and the need to create a system which
allows users to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead.”
Background
The Independent Review of the
Skills Delivery Landscape recommends major reform to the to
the way skills are delivered in Scotland
The NSET sets out the
priorities for Scotland’s economy as well as the actions needed
to maximise the opportunities of the next decade.
