The skills and education system is undergoing considerable change. The Growth and Skills Levy has replaced the Apprenticeship Levy, bringing with it shorter apprenticeship units and tighter funding rules. The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is accepting its first applications, promising more flexible, modular access to post-18 education. And devolution of skills funding and powers is firmly on the agenda of the new Prime Minister, as he seeks to better align skills and training with local opportunities. Set against this, youth employment, strengthening vocational and technical education, and the transition from education to work remain defining policy priorities for government.
For the technology sector, these changes are important, and pose key questions. As government sharpens its focus on youth employment, what does this mean for upskilling the existing workforce? Can Levy reform genuinely help employers and learners build critical digital, data, cyber and AI capabilities for the future? Can the LLE’s modular offer boost learning among adults and keep pace with fast-moving technical skills needs? And as skills responsibilities are dispersed among the country’s regions, how can we capitalise on the benefits of a more place-based approach while delivering on national priorities in tech?
During Get the Nation Learning Week, as part of the Learning and Work Institute’s Get the Nation Learning Campaign, techUK is bringing together industry, training and education providers, and policy and research experts to discuss how we can make reforms to skills and education work for technology skills and the wider sector. The session will explore what reforms – including the Levy, LLE and growing devolution – mean in practice for tech employers and training providers, where the gaps and opportunities lie, and what a more coherent, tech-ready skills system should look like as policy evolves.
Speakers
Dr Emily Andrews
