The United Kingdom (UK) government is taking a different approach to reducing immigration by improving skills training for local workers.
This initiative aims to address labor shortages and fill job vacancies with local talent instead of relying on foreign workers.
Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson introduced Skills England, a new government body.
Starmer said it will open new opportunities for young people and enable UK companies to recruit and hire more homegrown talent.
“Skills England will put in place the framework needed to achieve that goal while reducing our reliance on workers from overseas,” he said in a news release.
Phillipson said the country’s skills system 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,” she added.
From 2017 to 2022, the shortage of skilled workers in the UK doubled to more than 500,000 due to a lack of qualified candidates.
Currently, it accounts for 36 percent of job vacancies in the country.
What is Skills England
Skills England aims to address skill gaps and provide better opportunities for the UK workforce.
It will focus on creating a skills system that aligns with the needs of different industries.
This includes construction, information technology, healthcare, engineering, and more sectors.
Skills England will identify skills that are in short supply with the help of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
It will then develop training programs to equip local workers with these skills and address the labor shortage.
The goal is to decrease the country’s dependency on immigrants to fill job vacancies.
It also aims to create a workforce that can meet the economy’s demands without importing skills from abroad.
Additionally, Skills England will ensure that young Brits have access to the right opportunities and training.
The BBC reported that Prime Minister Starmer blamed the country’s lack of a “coherent” skills system for its “overreliance” on migration.
This led to the lack of training opportunities for young people, which robbed them of the “dignity of work.”
“We won’t be content just to pull the easy lever of importing skills. We’re turning the page on that,” he said in his speech at the Farnborough International Airshow.
Starmer added, “Our success as a country depends on delivering highly skilled workforces for the long term.”
The next steps for establishing Skills England
Philipson has appointed Richard Pennycook CBE, the lead non-executive director at the Department for Education (DfE), as the interim chair of Skills England.
Establishing the new government body and creating a responsive and collaborative skills system will take nine to twelve months.
The first phase of Skills England’s launch involves setting up the organization and starting work on assessing future skills needs.
The new government body will also start to build strong relationships with employers.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) functions will transfer to Skills England. This includes the route for employers to shape skills training.
Then, a permanent board, chair, and CEO will be appointed in due course.
Skills England will curate a list of training programs eligible for funding.
This responsibility includes ensuring cost-effectiveness and aligning the government-funded training options available to both learners and employers with identified skill requirements.
Additionally, the government plans to introduce a wide-ranging strategy for education beyond the age of 16.
This initiative aims to remove barriers to opportunities for young Brits, foster the development of a skilled workforce, and stimulate economic growth.
Philipson said Skills England would connect businesses with trade unions, mayors, universities, colleges, and training providers.
This will give the government “a complete picture of skills gaps nationwide,” drive growth in all sectors, and give people the opportunity to make a living.
Challenges, skepticism on skills training programs
While many support improving local skills training, some are concerned about its practicality and effectiveness.
Industries like hospitality, social care, the NHS, and construction have relied heavily on foreign workers due to domestic skill shortages.
Despite the government’s efforts, there are challenges and skepticism about the success of this initiative.
Previous attempts to boost domestic skills training have not fully addressed labor shortages.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has cautioned against implementing widespread training subsidies, as The Standard reported.
Its concern is that a significant portion of this funding might be used for training programs that companies would have financed independently.
This will then potentially reduce the overall effectiveness of the subsidies.
The success of the Skills England initiative depends on effective collaboration between the government, businesses, and educational institutions.
Ensuring that the training programs align with the real needs of the economy is crucial for reducing the country’s reliance on immigration.