techUK response to Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper

techUK welcomes the government’s new Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy White Paper, which aims to reshape the skills system to meet the needs of a changing economy.

As digital transformation accelerates across every part of the economy, demand for advanced digital, data and technical skills continues to outpace supply. The tech industry is a major driver of productivity, innovation and job creation, but persistent skills gaps and challenges facing higher education risk holding back growth and limiting opportunity. A joined-up approach to post-16 education and skills is vital to ensuring the UK remains globally competitive in technology.

The strategy covers a lot of ground. It spans everything from adult learning and digital skills to higher education reform, employer investment, and support for young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). It is a necessarily comprehensive document that aims to join up education, employment and industrial strategy in a way that reflects the real-world challenges facing learners, providers and employers.

The document recognises that only a collaborative approach can deliver, working effectively across government, with industry, and with partners in every part of the skills system. We set out some of the key inclusions below, and will publish our full analysis shortly.

Working with employers

The strategy sets out a shift toward a more integrated, employer-led skills system. It aims to bring together employment support, skills and training services to create clearer pathways into work and exhibit a stronger focus on local labour market needs – through Local Skills Improvement Plans and Get Britain Working Plans, and expanded access to Sector Based Work Academies and more flexible Skills Bootcamps. Employers are positioned as central partners in shaping the system, with Skills England leading a data-driven approach to identifying national and regional skills needs, using AI and labour market intelligence to inform targeted investment and occupational standards.

Public-private collaboration is central to delivery, with new sector skills packages, sector Jobs Plans, and the Growth and Skills Levy funding short, flexible training from April 2026. Public funding will be targeted at priority sectors, and the Strategy restates the government’s commitment to upskill 7.5 million workers with essential AI skills by 2030. Strategic Authorities will take on a greater role in coordinating adult skills and employment support, as well as health and transport interventions, and Skills England will explore ‘skills passports’ to improve visibility and progression. For digital, Government has committed to reviewing National Standards for Essential Digital Skills and ensuring there are clear pathways for individuals through essential digital skills qualifications.

Access to the immigration system via the Temporary Shortage List will be contingent on domestic sector skills commitments, alongside a significant increase to the Immigration Skills Charge. Employers will also play a role in delivering the Youth Guarantee, supporting apprenticeships and helping young people at risk of becoming NEET access training and employment.

The system is designed to be more agile, data-driven and responsive to emerging technologies and sector needs, with a clear ambition to reduce reliance on migration and build a resilient domestic workforce.

Further education

The strategy sets out a renewed vision for further education as a high-quality, inclusive and locally responsive system. It positions colleges as anchor institutions that play a central role in delivering technical education, supporting regional growth, and collaborating with both employers and higher education providers. The government has committed to increasing funding to ensure every 16–19-year-old has access to education or training, alongside a review of the funding formula and capital investment to support high value provision.

Technical Excellence Colleges – including 5 in digital and technology – will lead in delivering sector-specific provision, backed by investment and collaboration with industry. V Levels will become the vocational pathway at level 3 for 16–19-year-olds, sitting alongside A levels and T Levels, and the Office for Students will become the single regulator for providers offering courses at Level 4 and above. There will be new post-16 level 2 pathways into further study and work, as well as new level 1 English and Maths qualifications. The strategy also commits to expanding the use of technology and AI to enhance teaching and learning – including expansion of the Education Record app.

Higher education

The strategy reaffirms the UK’s ambition to remain a global leader in higher education and research. It recognises the sector’s critical role in driving research, innovation, and economic growth, and outlines reforms to ensure universities are better aligned with national priorities, regional needs, and the evolving demands of learners and employers.

Universities are encouraged to specialise in areas of strength, collaborate more closely, and align their provision with national and regional priorities. Research funding will be reformed to incentivise this specialisation and collaboration, and align with priorities for curiosity-driven research; supporting government missions and the Industrial Strategy; and targeted innovation, commercialisation and scale-up support – with considerations for improving cost recovery. Higher education innovation funding will be reviewed.

The Office for Students will have a strengthened regulatory role. The Lifelong Learning Entitlement will transform student finance, enabling modular study and flexible progression routes from further education into higher education. Maintenance grants will be introduced for disadvantaged learners, funded by an International Student Levy. Universities will be expected to engage with Local Skills Improvement Plans, contribute to regional economic strategies, and develop civic plans aligned to their institutional strengths and local priorities. And the government will also seek to strengthen the UK’s global position in higher education by expanding international partnerships and impact, and investing in talent through initiatives like the Global Talent Fund; with the full approach set out in the forthcoming refresh of the International Education Strategy.

Government has also outlined plans to harness the benefits of AI, with an ‘AI for Science’ plan to be published in the autumn, continued investment in compute, and enhanced efforts to bolster the UK’s AI talent pipeline. The Office for Students will be supported to review the impact on higher education and academic integrity.

The reforms aim to create a more specialised and collaborative higher education system – “with clearer roles for teaching- and research-intensive institutions with areas of specialist advantage, and stronger access and participation”.

The Strategy clearly sets out government’s approach and objectives for the national skills system. It brings together existing initiatives and policies, as well as establishing new ones.

The government will measure success against its targets for participation in higher-level learning, skills shortages in priority sectors, the number of people starting priority courses, commitments to deliver 6,500 more teachers, and the percentage of 16-21 year-olds in education and training or a job which provides skills training.

While the Strategy is not presented for consultation, it is evident that there will need to be more work on details and delivery, and industry will have a strong role to play. techUK looks forward to working with government and partners to create an ecosystem that delivers the skills the whole country needs to capitalise on the benefits of technology and innovation.

techUK's Skills, Talent and Diversity Programme activities

techUK work with our members to signpost the opportunity of digital jobs and ensure these opportunities are open to people of diverse backgrounds. We strive to help our members attract, recruit, and retain a diverse workforce, whilst showcasing their work on workplace innovation. Visit the programme page here.

Jobs and Skills

To make sure that the UK is a world-leading digital economy that works for everyone, it is crucial that people have the digital skills needed for life and work. Rapid digitalisation is creating surging demand for digital skills across the economy and the current domestic skills pipeline cannot keep up. Digitalisation is also leading to rapid changes in the labour market that means some traditional roles are being displaced. There is an urgent need to better match the demand and supply.

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Future of Work

The future of work is changing. Technology is powering a growth in flexible work across the economy, whilst emerging technologies such as robotics and AI are set to become common place. techUK believes the UK must consider the implications of digital transformation in the world of work now, equipping people and businesses across the country with the skills and conditions needed to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the 4IR.

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Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion sits at the heart of digital growth. The tech sector understands that innovation thrives from diversity of thought and is continually looking to attract, recruit and retain a diverse workforce. techUK is proud to support a number of initiatives that promote this, from doing outreach work to ensure that people regardless of their background are inspired into tech, to initiatives that help build more inclusive workplaces for those with different accessibility needs.

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techUK response to Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper

Working with employers

Further education

Higher education