Skills England faces ‘uphill struggle’ to be heard, says Hepi

England’s new skills body may struggle to “become a respected voice” given the variety of jobs it has been tasked with and its “junior” position within government, according to a new report.

Skills England, an agency established by the current Labour government, is expected to begin formally operating next month with a mandate to “bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade”. 

But new analysis by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) warns the agency is likely to “face an uphill struggle”, not least because of the position it occupies within government. 

As Tom Richmond, a former government adviser on skills policy, writes, the decision to make the body an internal agency within the Department for Education – as opposed to an independent one – may limit its influence over other government departments, while also potentially stifling its voice. 

In the worst-case scenario, he writes, “Skills England struggles to become a respected voice within government and is largely ignored by other departments and organisations who see little value in engaging with it, given their other more pressing priorities.

“Their lack of independence from ministers means Skills England is unable to express its own opinions or ideas for how to improve the skills system, relegating it to a bland supporting role in conversations around skills and training.”

Richmond predicts the agency may also find itself in the middle of the ongoing debate about apprenticeships, with funding for level 7 apprenticeships – equivalent to a master’s degree – set to be reduced in favour of investing in opportunities for younger workers. 

“Although we are still awaiting a final decision on the fate of level 7 apprenticeships, the difficulties that Skills England will have in driving forward competing objectives from different industry sectors and government departments is plainly apparent,” Richmond writes, with the body having to balance demands from higher and lower levels of education. 

However, he does believe Skills England could have a “positive impact” on data sharing between key bodies on both sides, as it plans to publish analysis of “in-demand occupations”. 

Data already shared by Skills England in September 2024 shows that, of the 2.5 million workers in “critical demand” occupations, 83 per cent require a qualification that is below degree level, such as care workers. 

In contrast, of the 12.6 million workers in “elevated demand” occupations, 46 per cent require a degree or equivalent qualification, such as software developers and teachers. 

“This disparity emphasises the challenge facing Skills England as it tries to tackle skills gaps at different levels – some of which may benefit from a greater role for higher education and some of which may bypass higher education altogether,” Richmond states.

Further analysis of this data by the agency is likely to be welcomed and could help central and local bodies collaborate to address skills gaps, he says. 

Commenting on the report, Richmond called for Skills England to be given, “genuine independence from ministers”, warning that otherwise, “it will struggle to gain the trust and confidence of its most important stakeholders within and outside government”.

‘If Skills England calls, it is not yet clear why any employer, provider or strategic authority would pick up the phone,” he continued.

“Skills England’s two most recent predecessors [the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills] both failed to last a single decade before being shut down. The evidence in this report suggests that, from the moment it launches, Skills England will face a similar battle to be relevant and respected.”

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com