New leadership team appointed for Skills England

New leadership appointments have been made at Skills England, the national body launched last summer to meet the skills needs of the country.

The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has announced that Phil Smith CBE will chair Skills England, with Sir David Bell serving as Vice Chair. Tessa Griffiths and Sarah Maclean will jointly serve as CEO, while Gemma Marsh will serve as Deputy CEO.

Phil Smith is the former chair and CEO of international tech and telecoms giant Cisco. He brings extensive industry experience in digital, tech and innovation leadership and his appointment signals the seriousness of the government’s plan for growth, unlocked via a national vision for skills.

Sir David Bell has four decades of experience in the education and skills sector and is currently Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland

Phil Smith CBE said: "I know from my time in industry how valuable direct engagement from employers can be in shaping government policy.

"We need a dynamic skills system that can drive economic growth, and I’m excited to be involved in shaping Skills England as part of that."

Sir David Bell said: "I look forward to working with Phil Smith, other colleagues in Skills England, and the Department for Education to help deliver economic growth and meet the nation’s skills needs.

"I know from my experience in public policy and higher education that providing the skilled workforce which Britain requires depends on industry, government and education organisations working together. I am very confident therefore that Skills England will provide the strategic oversight to make that happen."

Skills England will bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions of England. More than 700 stakeholders have already been engaged through roundtables, webinars and engagement events.

It will work with employers, national, regional and local government, providers, and unions to identify skills shortages and provide strong strategic direction for the skills system.

One of Skills England’s first orders of business will be to identify which apprenticeships would be best served by a shorter duration approach. Skills England will prioritise key shortage occupations as per the industrial strategy, helping to boost growth under our Plan for Change.