💬 Stephen Evans responds to the Government’s Skills England announcement. “We look forward to seeing the Government’s plans for simplification and an integrated post-18 system and Skills England’s role within it.” learningandwork.org.uk/news-and-polic…

Campaign for Learning David Hughes CBE Susan Pember 💙 Stephen Evans Simon Ashworth Alistair Jarvis Jane Gratton A chance to discuss Skills England and a national skills strategy in context of: - higher education - DWP work white paper building on national jobs and career service; 18-21 youth guarantee devolved Work, Health and Skills plans - industrial strategy

David Hughes CBE Jacqui Smith If answer to tertiary education funding is 1ppt rise in employer NICs the extra £8.5bn should be spread across HE AND adult FE (given fee loans + co-funding apply at L3 & L2). Other option is to raise UK Apprenticeship Levy from 0.5% to 1%. Both subject to Business Tax Roadmap

Mark Corney Alistair Jarvis Campaign for Learning David Hughes CBE Susan Pember 💙 Stephen Evans Simon Ashworth Jane Gratton Taken wales over 7 years to introduce the new tertiary education and research commission.

New report by Rosa Marks, jess & @ojgarling examines the role of the private sector in providing social infrastructure - those vital spaces & places that bring people together & sustain communities - to find it’s currently underestimated. bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/publications/p…

Tax fears are biggest deterrent to US firms investing in Britain thetimes.com/article/c16914… Why large rises in business tax (employer NICs/apprenticeship levy) to solve post-18 tertiary under funding might not be so easy ⁦David Hughes CBE⁩ ⁦CBI⁩ ⁦Nick Hillman⁩

Rachel Reeves is in a fiscal pickle — but there are ways out of it thetimes.com/article/76c1c6… How changed to fiscal rules might avoid tax rises - on businesses as well as individuals - to shore up public spending including post-16/18 tertiary education and skills.

So we have some kind of 'pause and review', but not all is as it seems from Bridget Phillipson's announcement. Details below and David Blunkett sums up his feelings towards it here x.com/LordBlunkett/s…

Glen O'Hara So begs the question given review of OfS what is/should be the relationship between Skills England and Office for Students to ensure a coordinated approach to post-16 and/or post-18 education and training including L4-6/8 (across HE, adult FE and apprenticeships).

In FY 23/24 UK Apprenticeship Levy = £3,841m Allocation to DNs = c£488m Allocation to DfE = £2,621m Treasury Margin = £732m DfE Non Ring Fence: £36m Assume Spend: £36m DfE Ring-Fence Allocation: £2,585m Ring-Fence Spend: £2,529m Underspend: £56m Total savings to HMT: £788m

Join us for our online policy panel on 16 September. We'll be discussing the government's priorities for post-16 education and skills with the help of our panellists Lizzie Crowley CIPD, Stephen Evans Learning and Work Institute, Nick Hillman @HEPI_News, David Hughes CBE @AOC_info, Susan Pember 💙

Stephen Evans Based on soft compulsion principle: if employer pays in employer must pay in. Discussion of employer levy to fund HE extending Apprenticeship/Growth & Skills levy to increase employer funding must be put in context of raising employer funding of workplace pensions

NEW DfE accounts suggest Government raised c£829m more from the apprenticeship levy than it spent on apprenticeships in 23-24. Levy raising more as nominal wages rise, DfE apprenticeship budget not raised in line, limiting numbers & funding rates. H/t Mark Corney

Investing in adult education fosters better social cohesion ft.com/content/28e427… via @ft

Andy Westwood Lewis Cooper With advent of Skills England we will need a) an overview of funding volumes/entitlements/gaps across the entire post 16 system - ESFA and OfS/SLC b) estimate of amount and types of post-18 funding spent on Level 3 and below and Level 4-6/8 c) clarity on SE and OfS working

Is Skills England a big deal for HE? Professor Martin Jones martin jones sets out why the Department for Education needs to explain how Skills England will work with the Office for Students: bit.ly/SkillsEnglanda…

Campaign for Learning martin jones A fundamental question and early priority to the creation of a ‘comprehensive’ national skills system covering Level 4-6/8 as well as L3 and below qualifications

Campaign for Learning martin jones As Martin Jones VC points out Skills England emphasises employers whilst the Office for Students emphasises the student. Both need to balance both. Andy Westwood

Can a new quango really fix England's problems with skills? Jessica Hill investigates the latest skills agency to hit the books, looking at what it would take to make this one succeed where others have failed. feweek.co.uk/can-skills-eng…