Political Comment: city MP says Skills England will transform opportunities and drive growth in Portsmouth

Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan has said that the launch of Skills England will bring together the fractured skills landscape and boost opportunities for Portsmouth people.

Skills are crucial to economic growth, with a third of productivity improvement over the last two decades explained by improvements to skills levels.

But between 2017 and 2022 skills shortages in this country doubled to more than half a million, and now account for 36% of job vacancies.

Mr Morgan said the fragmented skills system created by the last government is not working for Portsmouth people or local businesses.

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, providing strategic oversight of the post-16 skills system aligned to the government’s Industrial Strategy.

Supporting local areas to develop the skilled workforces they need – in particular across construction and healthcare – is fundamental to the government’s mission to raise growth sustainably.

Commenting, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:

“Our country’s current skills system is not working for Portsmouth people or Portsmouth businesses.

“This is why we are transforming our approach to skills and opening up new opportunities for local young people.

“Skills England will create a national framework we need to deliver the homegrown skilled workforces our city needs in everything from construction to healthcare, IT and green industries.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:  

“Our first mission in government is to grow the economy, and for that we need to harness the talents of all our people to unlock growth and break down the barriers to opportunity.

“The skills system we inherited is fragmented and broken. Employers want to invest in their workers but for too long have been held back from accessing the training they need.  

“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.”

Next steps for establishing Skills England:

• The first phase of Skills England’s launch involves setting up the organisation in shadow form within the DfE, and starting work on an assessment of future skills needs while building strong relationships with employers. A permanent board, Chair and CEO will be appointed in due course.
• The route for employers to shape skills training is currently offered by the IfATE. IfATE’s functions will transfer to Skills England, as part of the new organisation’s broader remit. IfATE will continue its important work in the interim as the transition of functions to Skills England is finalised.
• Skills England will hold responsibility for maintaining a list of levy-eligible training to ensure value for money, and that the mix of government-funded training available to learners and employers aligns with the identified skills needs.
• The government will also bring forward a comprehensive strategy for post-16 education to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our industrial strategy.