Our Chief Executive Officer, Dr Diana Beech said:
“The establishment of Skills England shows the Labour government means business when it comes to addressing skills shortages across the regions. While the new body will be overseen by a Chair and CEO, the Government should consider the appointment of regional representatives to the Skills England board to ensure each part of the country has a seat at the table.
It is already encouraging to hear the Secretary of State for Education say she will liaise with regional Mayors to make Skills England work across the nation. Her positive words about the role international students play in local economies, as well as to the financial stability of higher education institutions, also suggest a welcome recognition of the importance overseas graduates from UK universities have in filling regional skills gaps.
When it comes to skills, the London region could well be the key to giving higher education a bigger voice in skills discussions given its highly skilled economy and glaring need for high-quality graduates from the UK and beyond. In the past, London was repeatedly left out of ‘levelling up’ discussions despite being home to the greatest inequalities in the country. Yet, as the main engine of the UK economy, to repeat the errors of the past and leave London out of the national skills debate would severely hamper our national growth prospects.”
