Government announces skills training boost

Further measures to boost the nation’s skills, level up opportunities and get more people into better paid jobs have been announced.

As party of Boris Johnson’s levelling up promise, the government has underlined the need to escalate the value of practical and vocational education through the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, which will boost skills and open up opportunities for more people at every stage of their lives.

The Skills Bootcamp training programmes will be expanded across the country, offering an extra 16,000 fully funded places for adults to upskill or retrain. The expansion covers a range of digital and technical training including in green skills, such as solar energy installation, sustainable agriculture, nuclear energy, and green transport, along with coding and software development, so more adults have the opportunity to access the skills and training they need that leads directly to a job.

A consultation has also been launched on the future of the National Skills Fund, which has already supported thousands adults to upskill and retrain through Skills Bootcamps, and access to almost 400 free courses through the Free Courses for Jobs programme.

Eighteen areas across the country will also be the first to lead work to build stronger partnerships between local employer groups, colleges and other providers through the Skills Accelerator programme, so the training on offer meets the need of local communities and fills skills gaps in key sectors of the economy including construction, digital, clean energy and manufacturing. This will mean more people can get the training needed to secure great jobs close to home.

New careers guidance has been published for all schools and colleges, to make sure that every young person is aware of all the options available to them, including apprenticeships and technical education opportunities instead of concentrating on the traditional university route.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “No matter where you are from, everyone should have the chance to get the skills needed to get a good job – whether that’s to launch a new career or upskill in their industry. We have put skills right at the heart of our ambitious reforms, to make sure we can build back better from the pandemic, empowering people to get the skills they need to build the life they want. Today marks the next vital step in our mission to level up opportunities by investing in skills, investing in lifelong learning and investing in communities so that people can thrive and prosper – wherever they live.”