Eligible firms will be allowed to use up to 50% of apprenticeship funding cash for other types of training.
Higher salaries will be required to reduce foreign hires under Labour's plans for collective pay bargaining in certain sectors.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new Labour government's plan to enhance skills training in the UK to address the skills gap and reduce immigration.
Skills England, a new government body, will be established to work closely with official migration advisers to develop training plans for sectors reliant on immigrants.
In a significant move to address the skills gap and reduce record levels of migration, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new Labour government's plan to enhance skills training in the UK during his speech at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 22, 2024. The prime minister acknowledged that a lack of workplace skills has made the UK reliant on higher levels of immigration and emphasized that his administration would not rely on importing skills but instead focus on ending the 'skills gap' through collaboration with industry.
To achieve this goal, Skills England, a new government body, will be established to work closely with official migration advisers to develop training plans for sectors reliant on immigrants. The prime minister also acknowledged that higher salaries would be required to reduce foreign hires and pointed towards Labour's plans for collective pay bargaining in certain sectors as an example of how the new government intends to find the right balance on wages.
The Skills England body will also take on new responsibilities for deciding the future direction of skills training. Under Labour's plans, eligible firms will be allowed to use up to 50% of apprenticeship funding cash for other types of training, making companies more responsive to skills demands. However, critics argue that this could potentially slash the number of apprenticeships on offer and reduce options for younger people.
The two-child benefit cap, another contentious welfare policy introduced during George Osborne's tenure as chancellor, is also under consideration for abolition by the new Labour government. However, Labour refused to pledge this during the general election due to concerns about public finances.
A lack of workplace skills has made the UK reliant on higher and higher levels of immigration.
, Labour wants to cut demand for overseas hires by more strongly linking training with migration policies.
, Skills England will work closely with official migration advisers to develop training plans for sectors reliant on immigrants.
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The article contains editorializing and selective reporting. The author, Paul Seddon, uses phrases like 'lack of workplace skills had made the UK reliant on higher and higher levels of immigration' and 'an over-reliance on migration' to editorialize the situation. He also selectively reports that Labour wants to cut demand for overseas hires by more strongly linking training with migration policies, but does not mention that they do not have an overall migration target or that they want to reduce legal migration from record highs in the wake of Brexit. The author also mentions 'experts predict the migration figure for 2024 is likely to be lower due to changes in salary requirements announced last year' without providing any context or sources for this prediction.
But whatever the effect of Labour’s skills policy, experts predict the migration figure for 2024 is likely to be lower due to changes in salary requirements announced last year.
Labour is likely to face public and political pressure to reduce legal migration from record highs in the wake of Brexit.
The prime minister said a lack of workplace skills had made the UK reliant on higher and higher levels of immigration.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new Labour government's plan to enhance skills training in the UK to address record levels of migration.
Starmer stated that his administration would not rely on importing skills and instead focus on ending the ‘skills gap’ through collaboration with industry.
Accuracy
, Starmer stated that his administration would not rely on importing skills and instead focus on ending the ‘skills gap’ through collaboration with industry.
A lack of workplace skills has made the UK reliant on higher and higher levels of immigration.
Labour wants to cut demand for overseas hires by more strongly linking training with migration policies.
Skills England will work closely with official migration advisers to develop training plans for sectors reliant on immigrants.
The Prime Minister and Education Secretary have announced the launch of Skills England.
Richard Pennycook CBE, former chief executive of the Co-operative Group and lead non-executive director at the DfE, is appointed as interim Chair.
Skills are crucial to economic growth, with a third of productivity improvement over the last two decades explained by improvements to skills levels.
Between 2017 and 2022, skills shortages in the UK doubled to more than half a million and now account for 36% of job vacancies.
Skills England will bring together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions.
It will provide strategic oversight of the post-16 skills system aligned to the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
Supporting local areas to develop skilled workforces they need is fundamental to the Government’s mission to raise growth sustainably.
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Skills England will help reduce reliance on overseas workers by working with the Migration Advisory Committee.
The upcoming quarterly refunding update from the US Treasury will provide information on how much bond supply there will be.
’Many people that I’ve met before and had intense discussions with about the important work that you do, have informed my thinking and informs the thinking of the Labour government.’
’Better than most, you know that we live in a dangerous, volatile and increasingly insecure world. Therefore, events like this and the role that you play make everything more important for the defence and security of our country.’
’I have spent quite a lot of time at summits in the last week or two at NATO and the European Political Community.’
’On Friday I had the pleasure of meeting President Zelenskyy, who came into Downing Street.’
’At those meetings, whether it’s NATO, whether it’s the EPC, or whether it’s seeing President Zelenskyy as I did on Friday, it always gives me great comfort to know that Britain is at the cutting edge of defence and aerospace manufacturing.’
’The patient rebuilding of our country has started and we’ve launched our Strategic Defence Review.’
’We’ve taken the brakes off Britain with a plan for wealth creation in every community. Planning reform to get Britain building again. And we’re getting started on a new Industrial Strategy.’
’Skills England has been launched to transform the relationship between business and the education system, and Richard Pennycook has been appointed as the interim chair.’
’Apprentices from Airbus and Rolls Royce showcased their skills, reminding me of the talent that exists in our country.’
’Migration is part of our national story and cannot be demeaned or diminished. However, a coherent skills system should be established to reduce the long-term reliance on overseas workers.’
’Skills England will work with the Migration Advisory Committee to identify current and future skills gaps, address those gaps, and reduce our long-term reliance on overseas workers.’
’The Growth and Skills Levy will be changed to give businesses more flexibility in spending funds on necessary training.’
’Central and local government, training providers, unions, and businesses will work together in a broader partnership through Skills England.’
’A new Industrial Strategy and Strategic Defence Review are being developed alongside the Plan for Growth.’
’Everyone present at the Farnborough Airshow has a vital part to play in the mission of growth and security. The government is committed to fixing the foundations of the economy, putting it on a stable footing, and creating a coherent skills system.’
’The launch of Skills England is an important step towards achieving these goals, and businesses should continue to impress upon the government their needs for growth.’
