May 21 - Skills & Post 16 Education Bill amendments

Establishing a joint requirement on employer representative bodies (ERBs) and colleges to ensure that the views and priorities of the wider community are reflected in the Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) - which must include the views and interests of students, students’ unions, trade unions, and relevant community groups, agencies and local government. [...] b) Embedding sustainability and the role of colleges in delivering a net-zero carbon economy into the Bill and wider reform agenda, including in the strategic outcomes for colleges and with the capital investment to match. [...] • The Chancellor has invested in programmes in both the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education to support 16 to 24-year-olds, but they do not operate in tandem and are difficult to make work for employers, for students/unemployed people and for colleges. [...] The Committee has additionally argued that education systems have a wider role to play supporting the transition to a net-zero economy and preparing for the risks of climate change including the need for greater public awareness and understanding, and the need for technical skills in the workforce. [...] • For younger students in particular this is important for them to be equipped with the skills and confidence to tackle the opportunities and challenges of citizenship in the post pandemic, 21st century.