The Department for Education has unveiled details of a new Skills Accelerator programme.
The scheme aims to build stronger partnerships between local employer groups, such as Chambers of Commerce, colleges and other providers to make sure communities are getting the training needed to meet local skills gaps.
Those interested will have access to a £65 million fund to develop and deliver plans in pilot areas in 2021-22.
The Department for Education has also launched a consultation into its flexi-job apprenticeship scheme, which aims to open up apprenticeship opportunities in sectors with flexible employment patterns and short-term roles, such as agriculture, construction and creative sectors.
At the moment, apprenticeships are at least 12 months long, so such sectors have found it challenging to create enough opportunities.
Outlined in the Skills White Paper, plans include proposals for new V-levels, a vocational alternative to A-levels and T-levels, as well as a “stepping stone” qualification for students resitting English and maths GCSEs.
Free specialist training is being made available to teachers in Wales to give them the knowledge to understand and respond to the challenges faced by adopted and care experienced children.
Members of the newly formed Youth Select Committee have launched a call for evidence as part of their inquiry into Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education in secondary schools.
A new report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) warns that the current system for registering children for Free School Meals (FSM) is failing to reach many of the most disadvantaged pupils.
The government has announced a mandatory reading test for all children in year 8, which it says will help identify gaps early and target help for those who need it, while enabling the most-able to go further.