As the dust settles from the recent UK general election and the subsequent King’s Speech, it is clear that the focus on skills and training remains a top priority. The newly established Labour government, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has placed a significant emphasis on addressing the nation’s skills gap with the introduction of Skills England. This initiative aims to consolidate the fragmented skills landscape and create a unified national strategy to enhance the skills of the British workforce.

In the King’s Speech, His Majesty emphasised, “My Government will establish Skills England which will have a new partnership with employers at its heart [Skills England Bill], and my Ministers will reform the apprenticeship levy.” This announcement underscores the government’s commitment to reshaping the skills system to better meet the needs of businesses and the economy.

Jen Bramley, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Babington, shared her thoughts on this pivotal development: “The establishment of Skills England is a promising step towards creating a cohesive strategy that addresses the critical skills shortages our country faces. At Babington, we are committed to supporting this national ambition by providing high-quality training and development opportunities that align with the needs of both learners and employers.”

Key Highlights of the Skills England Initiative:

Centralised Coordination: Skills England will unify the efforts of central and local government, businesses, training providers, and unions to address skills needs over the next decade.

Strategic Oversight: This body will provide strategic direction for the post-16 skills system, aligning with the Government’s Industrial Strategy to support sustainable growth, particularly in sectors like construction and healthcare.

Local Empowerment: By devolving adult education budgets to Mayoral Combined Authorities, local areas will have greater control over addressing their specific skills needs and driving regional economic growth.

Enhanced Flexibility for Employers: The reform of the apprenticeship levy will give businesses more flexibility to spend levy funds on the training they need, a long-standing demand from employers.

The Importance of Skills Development

Skills development is crucial for economic growth, with a third of productivity improvements over the last two decades attributed to better skills. However, between 2017 and 2022, skills shortages in the UK doubled, now accounting for 36% of job vacancies (GOV.UK, 2024). The creation of Skills England aims to tackle these challenges head-on by providing a more responsive and collaborative skills system.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted the urgency of this initiative: “Our skills system is in a mess, which is why we are transforming our approach to meet skills needs over the coming decades. Skills England will put in place the framework needed to achieve that goal while reducing our reliance on workers from overseas.”

Babington’s Role in the Evolving Skills Landscape

At Babington, we are poised to play a significant role in this evolving landscape. With our commitment to delivering high-quality, relevant training, we are well-positioned to support the goals of Skills England. Our programmes are designed to meet the needs of learners and employers, ensuring that we equip individuals with the skills required to thrive in today’s job market.

Jen Bramley further emphasised, “Our purpose has always been to develop better futures through education and training. With the government’s renewed focus on skills, we are more determined than ever to provide the support and expertise needed to bridge the skills gap and drive economic growth.”

Looking Ahead

The next steps for Skills England involve setting up the organisation in shadow form within the Department for Education (DfE) and beginning an assessment of future skills needs. A permanent board, Chair, and CEO will be appointed in due course, and the transition of functions from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to Skills England will be finalised.

As we navigate this new era, Babington remains dedicated to supporting the government’s mission to enhance skills and create opportunities for all. We look forward to working closely with Skills England, our valued customers, and other stakeholders to ensure that our training programmes continue to meet the evolving needs of the workforce and contribute to the nation’s economic success.