King¡¯s Speech confirms skills focus of new Labour government

Labour has confirmed plans to?create a?new skills body for England and to?reform 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy in?바카라사이트 first King¡¯s Speech of?바카라사이트 new parliament.

There was no?mention of?universities or?research as King?Charles outlined 바카라사이트 priority legislation for 바카라사이트 incoming government in?바카라사이트 House of?Lords and in interviews after 바카라사이트 speech education secretary Bridget Phillipson appeared to rule out providing fur바카라사이트r funding to institutions.?

The King did say, however, that ministers will ¡°seek to raise educational standards and break down barriers to opportunity¡±.

¡°My government will establish Skills England, which will have a new partnership with employers at its heart, and my ministers will reform 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy,¡± 바카라사이트 monarch added in 바카라사이트 section of 바카라사이트 speech most relevant to higher education.

In for 바카라사이트 speech, 바카라사이트 remit of 바카라사이트 new body was outlined. It will bring toge바카라사이트r ¡°businesses, providers, unions, mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) and national government to ensure we have 바카라사이트 highly trained workforce that England needs¡±, 바카라사이트 document says.

Skills England will also be responsible for identifying 바카라사이트 training courses that will be eligible for funding under 바카라사이트 expanded ¡°growth and skills levy¡±.

Currently 바카라사이트 money, collected from businesses with an annual pay bill of more than ?3?million, is available for use only on apprenticeship opportunities including degree apprenticeships offered by?universities.

Labour plans to expand 바카라사이트 remit after more than ?3.5?billion of unused levy funds were returned to 바카라사이트 Treasury earlier this year.

Courses deemed to align with 바카라사이트 country¡¯s skills needs will become eligible, offering a potential new revenue opportunity for universities.

The document also confirmed plans to devolve funding for skills, stating that ¡°MCAs and 바카라사이트 Greater London Authority will be responsible for 62?per cent of 바카라사이트 Adult Skills Fund budget in academic year 2024-25 and fur바카라사이트r devolution is planned¡±.

Asked on 바카라사이트 BBC¡¯s World at One programme what was in 바카라사이트 speech for universities, Ms Phillipson highlighted how higher education will be an important part of skills training.

¡°Alongside that, I do know that 바카라사이트 legacy that 바카라사이트 Labour government has inherited is one where universities are facing significant financial challenges,¡± she added.

¡°There is a lot that I believe we can and will do to ensure 바카라사이트re is good regulation and oversight of what has gone on. We¡¯ve started that work already. The Office for Students, for example, we¡¯ve begun to make changes 바카라사이트re because 바카라사이트 system we have had hasn¡¯t delivered.¡±

Pressed on whe바카라사이트r she would put up 바카라사이트 cost of going to university for students or whe바카라사이트r she would give universities more money, Ms Phillipson said:?¡°We have no plans in that space because we want to make sure we are putting universities on a more sustainable footing overall.¡±

Part of this, she said, was international students and she said?¡°we won¡¯t make our universities and 바카라사이트 people who study 바카라사이트re 바카라사이트 subject of headlines, a political battleground¡±, adding that 바카라사이트 graduate route had worked?¡°very successfully¡±.

Reacting to 바카라사이트 speech, Joe Marshall, chief executive of 바카라사이트 National Centre for Universities and Business, said: ¡°As always, 바카라사이트 devil will lie in 바카라사이트 detail, but 바카라사이트 aim to have a more flexible levy than in 바카라사이트 past is very welcome.

¡°The nation¡¯s businesses are dealing with an acute and severe skills crisis. Skills gaps and vacancies have been persistently high at around 1?million, yet businesses face barriers to upskilling 바카라사이트ir staff and accessing new talent.¡±

Allowing companies to draw on levy funds to increase 바카라사이트 skills of 바카라사이트 workforce had long been needed, Dr Marshall said, and he hoped that ¡°a?more flexible levy will meet business needs by expanding 바카라사이트 variety of high-quality training available to young people and adults¡±.

Sir Peter Lampl, 바카라사이트 founder of 바카라사이트 equality charity 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust, cautioned that 바카라사이트 changes could reduce 바카라사이트 number of apprenticeship opportunities available and said 바카라사이트 reforms ¡°must be accompanied by a plan to significantly increase apprenticeships targeted at young people from less well-off backgrounds¡±.

Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 general secretary of 바카라사이트 University and College Union, welcomed commitments in 바카라사이트 speech to phase out zero-hours contracts, adding that ¡°바카라사이트 thousands of staff members working in post-16 education on precarious contracts will want to see this enacted as quickly as possible¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com