Skills England launched to end reliance on overseas workers

The Labour government has launched its Skills England programme in a bid to reduce employer's reliance on overseas workers for certain roles. 

Keir Starmer said Britain's skills systems was "in a mess" and the government wants to transform "the relationship between business and the education system."

The organisation will identify the training for which the growth and skills levy will be accessible – an important reform, that we have been calling for, to give businesses more flexibility to spend levy funds on training for the skills they need. The new body will work with businesses, trade unions, mayors and training providers to identify skills gaps across the nation. 

Skills England will be established in phases over the next 9-12 months to create a responsive and collaborative skills system.

'A positive step'

Speaking on the news of Skills England, Kate Nicholls, CEO at UKHospitality said: "The establishment of Skills England is a positive step that brings skills and education together under a single organisation to help drive economic growth and upskill the current and future workforce.

"Given the right circumstances, the hospitality sector is capable of delivering growth of 6% per year, and a focus on skills is central to this ambition. The sector is already the third largest employer in the UK, providing 3.5 million people with jobs, so it’s vital that our voice is represented within the new body."

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