‘Youth sector key to success of Skills England’

UK Youth has welcomed the launch of a new body which aims to bring together key partners across sectors to meet the skills needs of the next decade. 

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson have announced the launch of Skills England “to bring together the fractured skills landscape and create a shared national ambition to boost the nation’s skills”. 

The Department for Education said Skills England “will bring together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions” to meet the skills needs of the next decade, “providing strategic oversight of the post-16 skills system”.   

Sir Keir said: Our skills system is in a mess, which is why we are transforming our approach to meet skills needs over the coming decades. 

“They will help deliver our number one mission as a government, to kickstart economic growth, by opening new opportunities for young people and enabling British businesses to recruit more home-grown talent.” 

Ms Phillipson said: Skills England will jumpstart young people’s careers and galvanise local economies. It will bring businesses together with trade unions, mayors, universities, colleges and training providers to give us a complete picture of skills gaps nationwide, boost growth in all corners of the country and give people the opportunity to get on in life.”

The move has been welcomed by UK Youth, which urged the Government to include youth work as part of the solution. 

Oscar Bingham, UK Youth acting director of research and impact, said: “It’s positive that the new government is taking a coordinated, cross-sector approach to addressing the nation’s skills gaps. We look forward to seeing the plans for Skills England develop and would welcome opportunities to engage with the government on this. Developing the skills of young people is fundamental to ensuring that young people can thrive at every stage of their lives and critical to growing the economy. 

“UK Youth’s Untapped research has shown investment in youth work saves the taxpayer billions of pounds each year by improving outcomes in a number of areas, including employment. We’ve seen significant cuts to the youth sector over the last decade and our economic modelling shows reversing this under-investment would achieve a significant return for the taxpayer. 

“We urge the Government to include the youth sector as an integral part of its plans for Skills England. Youth work builds young people’s social and emotional skills, equipping them to contribute to society and lead active and fulfilling lives. Youth work builds young people’s skills for employment, helping them secure a job and progress in the world of work. And, so often, youth workers are the trusted adults connecting young people with the right training and work experience opportunities for them.

“It is important the new Government looks in detail at the youth sector’s role in directly addressing skills gaps, in equipping the workforce of tomorrow to find and sustain employment, and in working closely with other sectors like business to create mutually beneficial opportunities for young people. 

“The youth sector knows only too well how skills gaps can affect a whole industry or sector. In recent years, thousands of youth work roles have been lost and we’ve seen consistent under-investment in the professions supporting young people. Youth organisations now often struggle to recruit skilled youth workers and significant investment is urgently needed to re-establish and sustain a valued and thriving workforce in the youth sector. 

“The success of any of the new Government’s commitments to young people will depend on how much it understands and acknowledges the vital role of the youth sector. Youth work is a ready-to-go solution that, with the right investment from government, can transform the lives and prospects of young people, with huge benefits to wider society.

“UK Youth looks forward to continuing our work with the Government to unlock the power of youth work for all.”  

UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. With an open network of more than 8,000 youth organisations and nation partners; UK Youth reaches more than four million young people across the UK and is focused on unlocking youth work as the catalyst of change that is needed now more than ever. To find out more, visit ukyouth.org 

UK Youth is involved in a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive, such as outdoor learning, physical literacy, social action and employability, including Hatch. For more on UK Youth’s programmes, see ukyouth.org/what-we-do/programmes