Briefing on the 1st Reading of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill

• We need to ensure that the ambitions of the reform agenda are fully realised – there are three key areas where this should be developed: o Creating a right to lifelong learning so everyone can access the skills they need o Joining up the education and skills system so that it better meets society’s needs and gives people the skills they need o Committing to sustainable investment and a greater s. [...] This should include: i) establishing the accountabilities and oversight regime for lead employer representative bodies; ii) describing and enshrining the role of colleges in co-constructing the plans, together with the ability of colleges to challenge and prompt further work where they believe this to be required; and iii) establishing a joint requirement on employer representative bodies (ERBs) a. [...] • Our education and skills system can suffer from high levels of unproductive competition at present, as has been noted by the review of post 18 education and funding, the review of financial oversight and accountability and the Independent Commission on the College of the Future. [...] How do we redress this and ensure that the upcoming spending review brings finances into balance? Higher technical qualifications – The Bill sets out adjustments to the powers of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to approve a broader range of technical education qualifications and to keep under review the education and training within its remit ‘to ensure the overal. [...] Realising the ambition of the reform agenda – where the Bill must go further It is welcome and significant that colleges are recognised as having a central role at the heart of our economic recovery, the plans to redress long-standing regional inequalities and transition to a net zero carbon economy.