Greening hosts first Skills Summit to create a "country fit for the future"

Education secretary Justine Greening is holding the first Skills Summit today, 30 November and is expected to 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.

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, Greening 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, Greening 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.”

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.

This is in addition to the announcement of 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