Great Britain: law on skills and training adopted

On 28 April, the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, which aims to improve the skills of people across the UK (c.f. article No.12155 and No.12524), received royal assent and became an Act of Parliament. Announced in 2020, this law, which overhauls the area of skills and training will in particular promote the acquisition of skills associated with the green economy. The new model also aims to facilitate local employment opportunities by requiring universities and training centres to work directly with employers to tailor training offerings to fit local business needs. The Skills and Post-16 Education Act also provides that all students will be informed of the availability of technical training, such as apprenticeships and the new baccalaureate T level (c.f. articles No.10395 and No.12548). Lastly, another of the reform’s key measures concerns the flexibility of student loans. These will now be divided up to allow students to continue their studies across several stages, even after working for instance for several years in a company. Alex Burghart, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills said the new act would “Transform the skills, training and post-16 education landscape and level-up opportunities across the country,” and continued, “This legislation will make sure everyone can gain the skills they need to progress into a rewarding job, and businesses have access to a pipeline of talented, qualified employees for their workforces – boosting productivity.”