At the first Skills Summit held at the DfE in Whitehall today(30
November), will tell Britain’s top
businesses that enlisting their support in training the next
generation of highly skilled British workers is the key to
creating a country fit for the future, ready to seize the
opportunities of Brexit.
The Skills Summit, supported by the Confederation of British
Industry (CBI), will bring together leading employers
representing over 3.5 million UK employees, to help spearhead a
major skills reform programme.
In a speech to an audience that is expected to include companies
like Amazon, Google, Capgemini, Rolls Royce, Fujitsu, KPMG,
Barclays, Tarmac, EDF and Deloitte, the Education Secretary will
urge businesses to work in a new partnership with government to
deliver a skills revolution, and sign up to a statement of action
with government.
Outlining the government’s ambitions on skills to employers, the
Education Secretary, is expected to say:
This government is investing in developing our homegrown talent
so British business has the skills it needs and so that young
people can get the opportunities they want.
We are determined to work in partnership with business to
provide them opportunities to match the talent across the
country. That is why this government is investing billions in
technical education and why today I am calling on employers to
bring their innovation, creativity and commitment to technical
education reform. Only employers can provide the work
placements and apprenticeships that make these reforms a
success.
Eliminating the UK’s skills gap will have a transformative impact
on people’s lives and the wider economy. With around 20% of our
productivity gap with Germany and France due to lower skill
levels, tackling this deficit will ensure Britain is ready to
take advantage of the opportunities provided by Brexit.
The Education Secretary will also launch new Institutes of
Technology (IoTs) with applicants able to bid for £170million of
funding. IoTs will be collaborations by employers, HE and FE
colleges, and specialise in science, technology, engineering and
maths, providing students with prestigious qualifications that
are highly sought after by local employers. By bridging local
skills gaps, IoTs will drive growth and widen opportunity.
In a further announcement, £10m will be invested in new Career
Learning pilots across the UK. This funding will be used to
support local growth and productivity by testing how best to get
adults to return to learning.
Further reforms to be announced at the summit will include:
- A consultation on the design of T levels seeking views on how
to work with businesses to deliver work placements as part of the
govt reforms to deliver T Levels
- The roll out of the first seven Skills Advisory Panels in
regions across England to help identify the skills needs and
employer demands at a local level
- The full list of panel members to help create the content for
the new T levels, which will begin rolling out in 2020
Speaking at the summit today CBI Director General Carolyn
Fairbairn said:
There has never been a more important time to move beyond
saying skills matter and deliver real change. Government and
business must work together to ensure people have access to
great careers and the needs of our economy are met.
Immediate priorities include adapting the apprenticeship system
and making the new T-levels a success. Today is an important
milestone in enabling firms to shape training and the
Department for Education to hear their views directly - the
start of a renewed partnership.
Today’s announcement builds on the Budget (22 November) which set
out significant investment in skills, including an extra £20m for
colleges to build the workforce to deliver new T level
qualifications. The government has already signalled its
determination to invest in technical education by committing
£500million to T levels once all routes are up and running.
The first 7 Skills Advisory Panel areas are Greater Manchester,
Lancashire, Leeds, Greater Lincolnshire, Thames Valley Berkshire,
Cornwall & Isles of Scilly.
