The Department for Education has published a policy paper which outlines the role of its new arms-length body Skills England – launched in July to improve the skills landscape to increase economic growth.

The new policy paper details the skills challenges seen to be limiting economic growth.  “Barriers to opportunity” quoted include skills shortages, skills mismatched against demand, insufficient encouragement for employers to invest in skills, variations across regions, and for learners - pathways into skilled careers are not always clear enough, and opportunities to develop essential literacy, numeracy and digital skills need to improve.

The paper also provides an analysis of current and future skills needs, including which occupations are high in demand.  These differ across industries with the health and social care industry having the highest volume of roles in demand. Other high demand occupations include those in the education, manufacturing, scientific, technical and creative industries.

Looking to the future, the paper says that many of the skills needed in the labour market in 2035 will be impacted by demographic and rapidly changing technological shifts, as well as the transition to more green skills.

Skills England will conduct a series of roundtables and webinars in the autumn.

Alongside the policy paper publication, the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer launched the new Growth and Skills Levy (which will replace the existing Apprenticeship Levy) as well as new Foundation Apprenticeships to provide routes into skilled careers.