Priorities for Skill England set out by Education Secretary

The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has set out the priorities for Skills England for 2025 to 2026, in a letter to its joint chief executives.

Skills England was set up to ensure the national workforce has the skills to power economic growth, and support people to get better jobs faster. 

The letter states that Skills England will be data driven. To do this, it must work with partners across Government and beyond to provide the single authoritative voice on the country’s current and future skills needs, so skills strategies and policies can work together to meet them. This will enable government departments to make informed decisions on labour market policy and sectoral/regional priorities, including through the publication of your annual skills assessment.

Skills England will use data and insights to inform the development and maintenance of the right skills training at a national and regional level. This should include co-creating and refining the occupational standards underpinning a set of qualifications and training products with employers and other partners, to ensure that employers are driving the training required to meet labour market and economic need. 

Another priority is to simplify access to skills. It will do this by bringing together the fragmented skills system, helping people tak
up technical education and apprenticeships, and employers access the skilled workforce they need. 

Drawing on data and insights from employers, trades unions, Further and Higher Education training providers, and others, Skills England will have a role to advise government to enable responses to skills gaps, including continuing to develop the Growth and Skills Levy offer.

It will also drive progress in the Labour Market Evidence Group, working with the Migration Advisory Committee, Industrial Strategy Council and Department for Work and Pensions to boost the domestic pipeline of skilled workers in priority areas, reducing our reliance on migration, as well as collaborate with local partners to ensure there are consistent, high quality Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) that respond to national priorities and local labour market needs. This will include a clear role for Further Education and Higher Education provision.