Shake-up of further education to focus on needs of business

Proposals for a shake-up of further education and training in England - which will tie courses to the needs of employers - have been announced by the Government today.

The Skills for Jobs White Paper sets out plans to reshape post-16 training and education.

The Department for Education proposals include the development of tailored plans to meet local skills needs.

This would be supported by a £65 million Strategic Development Fund to put the plans into action and establish new College Business Centres to drive innovation and enhanced collaboration with employers.

Plans also include giving employers a central role in designing almost all technical courses by 2030, to ensure that the education and training people receive is directly linked to the skills needed for real jobs.

Additionally, the White Paper sets out the Government 's intentions to boost the quality and uptake of Higher Technical Qualifications - that provide the skills that many employers say they need and that can lead to higher wages - by introducing newly-approved qualifications from September 2022.

The qualifications would be supported by a Government-backed brand and quality mark.

Laws could also be changed so that from 2025 people can access flexible student finance, in order to train train and retrain throughout their lives.

The Government also intends to launch a nationwide recruitment campaign to get more talented individuals to teach in further education and invest in high quality professional development, including a new Workforce Industry Exchange Programme.

Additionally, there are plans to change funding and accountability rules, to ensure better targeted at supporting high quality education and training that meets the needs of employers.

While the White Paper focuses on further and technical education, higher education will continue to play a vital role in the education system.

The Government says these changes will boost skills, get more people into work, and ensure that people are able to access higher wage jobs that support the economy.

The Lifetime Skills Guarantee, announced by Boris Johnson in September, aims offer tens of thousands of adults the opportunity to retrain in later life, helping them to gain in-demand skills and open up further job opportunities.

Meanwhile, Skills Bootcamps - free, flexible courses of just 12 to 16 weeks - are giving adults the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer.

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said, “We welcome the focus on skills and ensuring that employers are fully engaged in the development of the education landscape.

“Here in Greater Birmingham, the Chamber is proud to work with the region 's leading higher and further education institutions, supporting the extensive work they are already doing with the local business community.

“While these proposals are welcome, it is important that further education receives sufficient funding to help deliver on these plans.

“We look forward to exploring the further details of the government 's White Paper and continuing to work with local stakeholders to ensure that young people entering the workplace for the first time and adults retraining are given the best possible support during these incredibly challenging times. ”

Click here to access the Skills for Jobs White Paper.