Skills England
The Government are launching Skills England to unify the skills system and to support economic growth. Learn more about this new initiative and how it will affect apprenticeships below.
What is Skills England?
The Government’s newest initiative, Skills England, is a significant effort aimed at addressing fragmented skills training system and boosting economic growth.
Launched in July 2024, this initiative seeks to bring together various stakeholders, including central and local government, businesses, trade unions, and training providers, to create a more cohesive and responsive national skills strategy.
Skills England’s primary goals are to tackle growing skills gaps – especially in key sectors like digital, construction, IT, healthcare, and engineering – focusing on developing homegrown talent.
Skills England: Key Details
As a leader of championing apprentices, we aim to keep all organisations up-to-date with any key announcements or changes.
To ensure you stay ahead, we’ve compiled a comprehensive breakdown of everything we know so far, providing you with clear insights.
Training programmes under Skills England will be tailored to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the economy. This ensures that industries can access a pipeline of talent with the specific skills required to promote growth and future innovation.
The functions of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) will be transferred to Skills England. This move aims to streamline the oversight and regulation of technical education and apprenticeships, creating a more cohesive and efficient system.
The current Apprenticeship Levy will be replaced by the Growth and Skills Levy, offering employers greater flexibility in how they spend funds. This will allow companies to invest in a wider range of training options, including non-apprenticeship courses.
Skills England will offer employers increased flexibility to fund training that falls outside the traditional apprenticeship framework. This shift is designed to make the system more adaptable to the evolving needs of businesses and industries, enabling faster upskilling and reskilling opportunities.
Skills England will work closely with the Migration Advisory Committee and the Industrial Strategy Council to ensure that training programmes align with workforce demands, including the potential need for skilled migration and alignment with the UK’s broader industrial strategy.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), responsible for overseeing funding for education and skills, is set to be dissolved by March 2025.
This is part of the Government’s broader effort to simplify and centralise the administration of skills development and funding under the new Skills England framework.
WHAT IS THE GROWTH AND SKILLS LEVY?
The Growth and Skills Levy provides employers with greater flexibility in training investments. Unlike the current levy, which is designed to be used for apprenticeships, this new levy permits a small percentage of available funds to support additional training programmes.
This change allows businesses to address urgent skills gaps and is especially advantageous for industries where apprenticeships may not fully meet upskilling needs. Sectors needing short-term, high-demand certifications can now invest in relevant qualifications tailored to workforce demands, offering a more adaptable approach to employee development.
Learn MoreGrowth & Skills Levy: Key Dates
October 2024 – Industrial Strategy Released
April 2025 – Minor Changes Anticipated
September 2025 – Further Changes Anticipated
EDSK ‘Inside Your Ed’ Podcast
Hosted by Tom Richmond, this podcast takes a look inside the latest stories from across the education system in England including schools, colleges, universities and apprenticeships.
Our Director of Public Affairs, Joanna Wake, made a recent guest appearance to discuss the government’s newest initiatives: the Growth and Skills Levy, which will be replacing the current Apprenticeship Levy.
The Growth and Skills Levy is still in its infancy but it is a highly topical subject, with little information available but with many employers desperate to know more. The podcast episode details all key announcements about this flagship education policy, covering the purpose of the changes and key dates and timeline, plus more.
Listen HereUnleashing Potential: Unlocking Opportunities for Young Apprentices (2024)
The Unleashing Potential: Unlocking Opportunities for Young Apprentices (2024) report identified prevalent issues within the UK’s current apprenticeship and wider skills system as apprenticeship starts for 16 – 18-year-olds continue to decline.
The report identified four key areas affecting the potential growth of the apprenticeship landscape: the concerning change in apprenticeship demographics, the wider skills system, the opportunities available for young apprentices, and clear barriers to entry for prospective apprentices.
Access ReportLABOURS APPROACH TO APPRENTICESHIPS – KEY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Young Apprentices
Labour’s focus on young apprentices is part of a broader push to address youth unemployment and create more accessible routes into skilled professions.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Foundation Apprenticeships will provide young people and NEET young people with employment, building essential skills in priority sectors with the aim of preparing them for a Level 3 apprenticeship.
Shorter Programmes
Labour will introduce shorter apprenticeships tailored to meet urgent skills needs. This training will allow workers to quickly upskill or reskill in a shorter time frame.
Level 7 Restrictions
Labour has proposed “widespread” restrictions on Level 7 apprenticeships (equivalent to a Master’s degree level), from the scope of Levy funding to shift funding resources towards early talent.
Youth Guarantee
Labour’s Youth Guarantee is a commitment to ensure that every young person aged 18-21 has access to training, education, or employment opportunities.
What are Foundation Apprenticeships?
Foundation apprenticeships are designed to be shorter than traditional apprenticeships, making them more accessible and acting as a stepping stone into key growth industries such as healthcare & digital. Skills England is working with employers and providers in priority sectors, with the first set of programmes due to launch in September 2025.
With a focus on addressing the needs of 900,000 NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) young people in the UK, the initiative aims to reduce youth unemployment. The Apprenticeship Levy has led to an increase in more experienced candidates enrolling on Higher-Level programmes, and this initiative allows the government to push back against the shift in demographics.
Shorter apprenticeships will also be introduced for people in work who can’t commit to Level 3 for development and career advancement. The shorter courses will address key skill gaps and allow employers to upskill their existing staff using their Growth & Skills Levy funds.
BE-SPOKE APPRENTICESHIPS
Be-Spoke ensures your training aligns perfectly with business strategies, industry demands, and core values, creating a more effective and tailored development pathway for your apprentices.
The platform gives you the tools to easily create apprenticeship programmes that are fully aligned with your industry-specific requirements. Each Be-Spoke apprenticeship is made up of 4 key features: Core Modules, Essential Modules, Expert Modules, and Be-Spoke Modules.
With our innovative approach, you’re not just selecting an apprenticeship but curating an entirely bespoke roadmap to success.
Create Your Be-Spoke Apprenticeship