The King’s Speech | Implications for Education & Skills

In the first King’s Speech under the new Labour government, His Majesty King Charles III has outlined significant changes to the UK’s education landscape, with a focus on education and post-pandemic employment initiatives.

As Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration took center stage, the monarch presented Labour’s legislative agenda, introducing changes that align with the party’s educational vision.

Focus on Education and Post-Pandemic Employment

His Majesty King Charles III has focused on education and post-pandemic employment initiatives.

Reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy

Additionally, reforms to the apprenticeship levy, a tax imposed on employers, are set to be implemented. These changes aim to make the system more flexible and responsive to employers’ needs.

Establishment of Skills England

A new entity, Skills England, will be established to foster collaboration between government, businesses, labour unions, and training providers. The King describes it as a “partnership with employers at its heart,” suggesting a focus on aligning skills training with industry demands.

Artificial Intelligence

The King stated that the government “will seek to establish the appropriate legislation to place requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models.” This indicates a focus on regulating and potentially safeguarding the development of advanced AI technologies.

New Legislation to Enhance Educational Standards and Student Welfare

He announces plans for legislation aimed at enhancing educational standards and promoting student welfare. This could include measures to improve curriculum content, teaching quality, and support services for students.

Funding for 6,500 New Teachers

According to the King, they will fund the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers.

Elimination of VAT Exemption on Private School Fees

The government intends to introduce measures to eliminate the VAT exemption on private school fees.

Sector Response

Responding to the education measures outlined in the King’s Speech, Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“We welcome many of the measures outlined by the new government and we look forward to working with ministers and officials on the detail of these proposals. At the heart of these policies, there is clearly a burning desire to tackle inequities and improve the life chances of vulnerable and disadvantaged children. We fully support that direction of travel – it is long overdue. However, there is a vital missing ingredient to these plans as they currently stand and that is the question of ensuring that schools and colleges are sufficiently funded not only to deal with the current huge financial pressures they are facing but in order to be sustainable in the future. We recognise that national finances are tight, but this nettle simply must be grasped when the government sets out its spending plans in the autumn.

Children not-in-school registers

“A mandatory register of children who are not in school is badly needed and long overdue. Local authorities must be able to keep a track of children to ensure they are not at risk and that they are receiving an appropriate standard of education. At the moment, the system is patchy and there are children who fall through the gaps.

Breakfast clubs in every primary school

“Ensuring that children are able to start the day with a good breakfast is of obvious benefit to their wellbeing and will mean they are ready to learn. It is vitally important that this provision is properly funded and resourced.

Limit on number of branded items of uniform

“A legal cap on the number of branded items of school uniform was expected and something that most schools recognise already, particularly given the high rate of child poverty and cost-of-living pressures.

Requiring all schools to teach the national curriculum

“This measure is linked to Labour’s planned curriculum and assessment review. It will clearly need careful handling not only to ensure that the resulting curriculum is right for pupils but that schools and teachers have sufficient time to adapt to any changes.

Bringing multi-academy trusts into the inspection system

“While the principle is sensible, delivering this policy does require careful thought. It will need the creation of an appropriate framework and assurance that Ofsted has inspectors with the experience and expertise to inspect MATs.

Levying VAT on independent schools

“Independent schools fear this policy will have a serious impact on staff and students with some schools likely to face closure. The policy does need to be fully modelled and consulted upon to understand the implications. It will not in itself address the funding crisis facing schools and colleges. That requires a general uplift in funding rates.”

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“This King’s Speech begins the process of repairing and rebuilding Britain after 14 years of chaos and decline. “Whether its boosting workers’ rights, launching GB Energy or bringing our railways back into public ownership – this is a serious statement of intent.

“Working people need – and want – a government that will deliver meaningful change and be on their side.

Commenting on the government’s commitment to deliver an employment bill within its first 100 days – and wider government commitments to deliver a genuine living wage and remove the discriminatory minimum wage age bands – Paul added:

“The Employment Bill will be a vital stepping stone towards making work pay and ensuring everyone has security and respect at work.

“It will help create a level-playing field and ensure good employers are not undercut by the bad.

“Improving the quality of work is hugely popular with voters across the political spectrum and can be at the heart of Labour’s plan to raise living standards.

“Delivering the New Deal in full will improve the working lives of millions and help turn the page on an era of low pay, low rights and low productivity.

Commenting on the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, Paul added:

“Labour is right to act to tackle race and disability pay gaps and pay discrimination at work head on.

“Everyone in this country deserves the chance to thrive. But we know that BME and disabled people still face huge discrimination at work and in wider society.

“And we know that BME and disabled people are disproportionately more likely to be trapped in low-paid and insecure work.”

Commenting on rail services being brought back into public ownership and additional investment in high-speed rail across the North of England, Paul added:

“Rail privatisation has been a disaster for passengers and taxpayers alike. “Train companies have prioritised shareholder returns over providing quality services.

“The government is right to bring our railways back where they belong – in public ownership.

“And the today’s announcement of additional investment for the North is a welcome boost for growth and connectivity in the region.”

Commenting on the Skills England Bill, Paul added:

“The UK has been crying out for a proper skills strategy for years. “With AI, automation and climate change transforming the world of work, we must ensure people have the skills they need to do the jobs our economy needs.

“This is a serious plan that will bring unions, employers, providers and government together to end the skills deficit in this country.”

NCUB Dr Joe Marshall, Chief Executive of the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB), said:

“We warmly welcome the news, revealed in the King’s Speech, that the Government will introduce Skills England, which will bring together business and training providers. We particularly celebrate that partnerships with employers will be at the heart of this new body.”

Marshall continued:

“We also welcome the news that the Government is taking the bold step to reform the Apprenticeship Levy. As always, the devil will lie in the detail, but the aim to have a more flexible Levy than in the past is very welcome. The nation’s businesses are dealing with an acute and severe skills crisis. Skills gaps and vacancies have been persistently high at around 1 million, yet businesses face barriers to upskilling their staff and accessing new talent. We have long argued that it is vital companies are able to make full use of their Apprenticeship Levy funds for broader use, to increase the skills of their workforce. The Government is delivering on their promise of ‘change’ here. We hope that a more flexible Levy will meet business needs by expanding the variety of high-quality training available to young people and adults, and look forward to contributing to its design.”

Nichola Hay MBE, Director of Apprenticeship Strategy and Policy at BPP, said:

“It’s positive to see skills policy central to the Government’s plans for growth, with the announcement of a new ‘skills bill’ to replace the apprenticeship levy.

“There’s no denying the apprenticeship levy has been a success over the years. But it lacked some of the flexibility employers and learners needed to truly deliver for businesses. 

“The launch of the new Growth and Skills Levy will hopefully provide that, but the Government must ensure it consults with employers and training providers to make sure the levy supports the workforce needs and provides opportunities for learners of all ages and skill level. 

“To achieve that, it’s important that flexibility within the levy is prioritised, by taking time to review modularisation, content and duration of the apprenticeship.”

Kirstie Donnelly, Chief Executive at City & Guilds Said:

“City & Guilds warmly welcomes the inclusion of a ‘Skills England Bill’ in the King’s Speech, marking a pivotal moment for vocational education in the UK. The establishment of Skills England has the potential to join national policy with local reality and help coordinate the offer available for learners up and down the country. Done well, this could be a significant step in addressing the pressing skills and equity gaps the country faces. At City & Guilds we look forward to contributing our insight to help ensure Skills England is best placed to support learners and employers across the UK. It is also of central importance that the more immediate decisions around existing qualifications are also made. We believe it’s vital that we halt the planned qualification reform at the end of this month, something that would be damaging to UK productivity and would cull opportunities for people to progress and develop. In addition, a wider conversation is needed on the design and delivery of T – Levels to ensure they are impactful and sustainable in the long term. We also eagerly await more details on how the Growth and Skills Levy can maintain strong support for apprenticeships, while introducing flexibility for other in-work training. Striking the right balance is key to ensuring young apprentices and SMEs are not disadvantaged and will be important as we look to meet the demands of longer careers and a culture of lifelong learning. These reforms can have a real impact to better serve both learners and employers. City & Guilds is committed to partnering with the government to shape and drive the policies announced today, leveraging our expertise to create a dynamic skills system that promotes lifelong learning and inclusive growth across the country.”

Neil Carberry, REC Chief Executive, said:

“Today’s King’s Speech sets out an ambitious programme for the new government. Businesses share the view that getting economic growth going should be our priority – and are ready to help. We welcome the commitment to a new partnership with business. Only growth can deliver the individual prosperity and funding for public services we all need.

“We have to be clear – businesses are worried that the government will rush reforms to the labour market and do more harm to workers than good. Our focus should be on improving the daily lives of workers while helping firms grow, not ticking things off a list quickly. From the National Minimum Wage to Pensions Automatic Enrolment, Labour governments have shown that big changes can be successfully delivered when a proper partnership with business is created. Think-tank and trade union discussions are important – but not a substitute for proper engagement and discussion with the private sector on employment relations. Businesses are not opposed to the government’s plans – but the failure of the Apprenticeship Levy shows what happens when government imposes solutions that don’t work in reality. We welcome today’s commitment to reforming the levy, which is long overdue.

“Flexibility matters to millions of workers across the UK. Changes that restrict choice and opportunity for workers must be avoided as they will undermine both the fight against inactivity and the quest for growth. A collaborative approach with business on these policies can ensure changes are grounded in people’s daily lives, so they are pro-worker and pro-business.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT said:

“The measures set out in the Children’s Wellbeing Bill are largely sensible and welcome. After several aborted attempts at education bills over the last decade, it is good to see the government is not just starting to restore education as a national priority, but also focusing on a number of very practical, specific policies – many of which we have long called for.

“We have been clear about the need for a register of children not in school, which is vital to help services including schools ensure pupils stay safe and are not lost outside the system meaning they miss out on the education they need. Teachers and leaders will be relieved that a government is finally taking action on this.

“The legislation to ensure any new teacher has or is working towards qualified teaching status will put an end to the degradation of the profession that happened under the last administration and helps signal a clear reset of the government’s relationship with the profession.

“Greater consistency between academies and maintained schools is also long overdue, and it makes sense that all schools are expected to teach the national curriculum. We welcome the move to inspect multi-academy trusts, particularly given the increasingly prominent role they now play within the system. Of course, all inspections should be fair, proportionate and humane and we look forward to working with the government as they develop this policy.

“We stand ready to open dialogue with the new government to understand how the new requirement for all schools to provide breakfast clubs will work in practice. It is important the government understands that there are many different ways to ensure children who need it can access before-school provision, including local partnerships and the utilisation of existing childcare providers. It goes without saying that such provision will need to be adequately funded, with a particular focus on staffing costs.”

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said:

“While we welcome the shift in tone and commitment to improving the lives of working people, the devil will be in the detail and Labour must ensure it uses its mandate to make real change after years of Tory misrule.  The government must now take the opportunity to boldly transform the world of work. The commitment to phasing out zero-hour contracts is welcome, and the thousands of staff members working in post-16 education on precarious contracts will want to see this enacted as quickly as possible.

On skills and industrial strategy plans, Jo said:

“The government needs to make sure workers are at the heart of Skills England, the Industrial Strategy Council, and reforms to the apprenticeship levy. The college teachers entrusted to deliver these plans earn £9k less than their counterparts in schools. Reskilling England cannot be done on the cheap, and these crucial workers need a pay rise. Now is the time to reset these relationships to one of collaboration rather than one where initiatives are foisted onto education staff at the whim of government.”

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Chief Executive, said:

“The King’s Speech sets out a programme of big choices and bold moves needed to deliver a shift in gear for the economy.

“Reforming planning systems, speeding up approvals for major infrastructure projects, harnessing the potential of data and promoting a more joined-up approach between local and national government can give businesses the confidence they need to unlock investment.

“With firms continuing to highlight access to labour and skills as a barrier to growth, addressing long-term inactivity and expanding the Apprenticeship Levy to offer a wider range of skills training can provide vital momentum to the economy.

“But the key to turning the government’s legislative agenda into a roadmap for sustainable growth will be a partnership of collaboration with industry.

“While delivering secure, well-paid jobs is a shared objective for business and the government, space for meaningful consultation with industry on the details will be key to avoiding unintended consequences.

“With the economy beginning to pick up steam, what’s needed now is a relentless focus on delivery by deploying the capability and capacity of industry to turn these measures into swift and bold action.”

Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University:

“The measures contained in the new Government’s first King’s Speech have the potential to significantly improve the working lives of people across the UK, and improve their chances of accessing more secure and well-paid jobs.

Ending an era of one-sided flexibility

“The commitment to introduce legislation to outlaw exploitative working practices – such as zero-hour contracts – may not be surprising, but it is crucial given 6.8 million people in the UK today find themselves in severely insecure work. Insecure jobs carry an average £3,276 per year pay penalty compared to more secure roles, and can be detrimental to worker’s health. As part of these reforms Government should introduce a right for all workers to access guaranteed hours in their role, and end the era of ‘one sided flexibility’ for millions at work.

Tackling ill-health

“But improving the security of jobs on offer will mean little if more isn’t also done to improve people’s chances of accessing them. Economic inactivity due to ill health remains at a 2.83 million people, so more action to help people stay in and return to employment is critical. In particular commitments to reduce NHS waiting lists and improve access to mental health services will be key.

Improving infrastructure to increase access to good jobs

“It’s also very welcome to see commitments to improve poor quality infrastructure that currently mean too many people – especially women and people managing disabilities or long-term health conditions – end up trading security at work for the flexibility they need. The promise of new legislation to improve local bus services that can better connect people to employment opportunities, a renewed focus on regional industrial strategies, and the establishment of Skills England all have the potential to support more people into better paid, more secure work in the future.

A new Single Enforcement Body

“It is welcome to see a commitment to legislate for a Single Enforcement Body – to be known as the Fair Work Agency – to ensure that new labour market regulations are adhered to by all employers. In 2018, on average an employer was likely to be inspected by HMRC’s Minimum Wage Team just once every 500 years. Ensuring the Fair Work Agency is resourced properly and is a visible deterrent to rogue employers will be vital if we are to see the ambition of Labour’s New Deal for working people become a reality.

“The challenge now for the new Government will be ensuring the ambition of this King’s Speech is realised as draft Bill’s make their journey into legislation, so that workers across the UK can benefit from the proposed reforms.”

Julian Gravatt, Deputy Chief Executive, Association of Colleges, said:

“We welcome the announcement of apprenticeship levy reform in the King’s Speech today. At AoC, we have been calling for reform for some time, to ensure the apprenticeship programme works for young people, key sectors and for employers.   

“We are pleased to also see the announcement of Skills England. We have been campaigning for a new social partnership body for some time and have set out a clear blueprint for how we believe it should operate in practice.

“Colleges have a central role to play across all the new government’s missions on which new bills have been announced today; they support growth within their local communities, develop green skills for the economy, play a key role in the NHS workforce pipeline, and encourage students to adopt healthy and safe lifestyle habits.

“AoC is looking forward to working with the government to ensure that any reform and new initiatives are in the best interests of students, colleges and communities, while also continuing to lobby for better FE pay, a rethink on GCSE resits and curriculum more widely, and a pause and review of qualification reform.”

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said:

“Today’s King’s Speech sets out a raft of measures that have the potential to deliver real change for workers and better opportunities for children and young people.

“It is welcome that the new Government has committed to taking forward many new measures to address concerns highlighted by the NASUWT for some time.

“We have long called for government to turn the page on restricting children’s access to a broad and balanced education on the basis of parents’ ability to pay.

“Restoring the national educational entitlements of all children and young people, including the fundamental right to a national curriculum that is taught by qualified teachers, will be of critical importance to securing equality of opportunity for every learner, regardless of where they are educated.

“Securing entitlements for pupils must go hand in hand with securing the entitlements of teachers and support staff to world-class employment conditions in every state-funded school. We look forward also to working with Ministers to deliver their vision for improving workers’ rights and securing equality for teachers in our schools and colleges.

“The new Government’s programme provides an opportunity to reset our education system and take a significant step forward in addressing the inequality, fragmentation, chaos and damage inflicted on the education system over the last 14 years, and restore the status of the teaching profession.

“We will now be looking to the new Government to work with us in taking forward these and other measures in the interests of children and young people and the workforce in our schools and colleges.”

Sir Peter Lampl, Founder of the Sutton Trust and Founder of the Education Endowment Foundation, said:

“It’s encouraging to see the Government press ahead in breaking down barriers to opportunity in education, as well as seeking to raise educational standards and promote children’s wellbeing. To build on this, it’s vital that the Government takes action to tackle the rising attainment gap between disadvantaged youngsters and their peers.

“It’s also time that the apprenticeship levy was reformed. However, the proposed changes risk reducing new apprenticeship opportunities if employers use levy funding for their existing staff’s learning and development. These reforms must be accompanied by a plan to significantly increase apprenticeships targeted at young people from less well-off backgrounds.

“To deliver sustained economic growth, one of the things the Government must do is advance social mobility to significantly increase opportunity for future generations. This will require substantial policy action and investment from the early years to the workplace, including equalising access to early education and childcare, closing the attainment gap in schools, and increasing financial support for students.”

Dr Marc Warner, CEO, Faculty AI Said:

“Whilst tighter rules around frontier systems is sensible, Labour must guard against regulatory overreach.

“AI has been safely and successfully used for decades – from predicting travel times, spotting bank fraud, or reading patient scans. 

“Embracing these “narrow” applications – AI tools with specific, predetermined goals set by humans – should be the priority. Cracking down here would only stifle growth and hamper innovation – as well as robbing the public of better, faster and cheaper public services.

“Starmer should release the handbrake on narrow AI, whilst implementing sensible rules around advanced, more general systems. This Bill looks to be a good start on that journey.”

Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said:

“It is encouraging to see the focus on both the standard of education in the UK as well as how we break down barriers to accessing world class skills.

High quality technical and employability skills are key to successful industrial strategies. They give young people a strong start in life, provide employers with top talent, and boost the UK’s economic competitiveness.

At the heart of this opportunity are our teachers and trainers; by using our access to international best practice through events like WorldSkills Lyon, we can support their ongoing development, providing young people with the world class skills employers need to stay competitive. By supporting Skills England to bring together education and industry, we are committed to helping the UK become a world-class skills economy.” 

Ben Willmott, head of public policy for the CIPD, said:

“Working in close partnership with employers and business bodies will be key to the Government achieving its aims of boosting skills, employment and unlocking the UK’s economic potential.”

On changes to employment rights:

“We welcome the Government’s intention to work in partnership with business as it implements its New Deal for Working People. Plans to introduce day one employment rights and other employment law changes will need thorough consultation with employers, and potentially compromise in places, to ensure any changes have a positive impact on workplace practices and employment opportunities. 

“It’s crucial that changes to employment legislation don’t discourage employers from taking on permanent staff or providing flexible employment opportunities that can benefit people who need to fit work around care, study or health needs for example.”

On skills:

“We welcome reform of the Apprenticeship Levy into a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy. The CIPD have been calling for change in this area, on behalf of our members and businesses, for several years to help reverse the decline in apprenticeships for young people and make it easier for employers to use their levy funds to upskill their existing workforce.

“The establishment of Skills England can provide a further boost to business skills investment, bringing together the key players needed to ensure that reform of the levy is a success, and training and development is more aligned with business and learner needs.”

On the introduction of an Industrial Strategy Council:

“The commitment to establishing an Industrial Strategy Council will prove crucial in supporting economic growth. However, it’s essential that industrial strategy looks at the whole of the economy and isn’t just focused on boosting R&D, high tech and green energy sectors, crucial as they are.

“It must also consider the everyday economy, powered by sectors like retail, hospitality, transport, logistics and social care. Improving skills, people management practices and technology adoption in these sectors will be key to raising productivity across the economy.”

English Devolution Bill:

“There are some real opportunities in devolving greater powers over skills and employment support and joining these things up at a local level. But it’s important that employer voices are brought in at a national and local level in a way that ensures support is joined up.”

On helping more people get back into work after the pandemic:

“Long-term health issues have a significant impact on people’s ability to work so it’s vital that the Government takes steps to help people get into and stay in work where they are able. Health policy is economic policy, they can’t be treated in silos. It’s crucial that the Government works with employers to prioritise employee health and wellbeing if we’re to tackle the dual challenge of a tight labour market and an ageing workforce with more complex health needs.”

Russell Hobby, CEO of Teach First, said:

“We were pleased to hear plans to improve educational standards in today’s King Speech, as this is central to breaking down the barriers of opportunity for our whole country. To deliver real change, we must prioritise our efforts towards schools serving the most disadvantaged communities – where additional resources have the most potential to transform lives.

“Recruiting an additional 6,500 teachers for our classrooms will make a huge difference, and we look forward to hearing more details about these recruitment plans. As a first step, we hope to see an increase in trainee teachers’ salaries, which could transform the pipeline of talent we desperately need. 

“The new government has a real chance to break down the barriers to opportunity once and for all, and we know this starts with a brilliant education.”

Neil Davy, Chief Executive of Family Business UK said:

“We are delighted that the Government has committed to reforming the Apprenticeship Levy through the new Skills England Bill. The key to unlocking the true potential of family businesses, and the economy as a whole, is to create a culture of continuous improvement and investment in the skills of young people. The current system just doesn’t work and, reform was one of our key asks of government in the Family Business UK Manifesto.

“A new system must give family businesses greater flexibility on how they allocate funding to support apprentices, life-long learners and help people looking to re-enter the workforce. Family businesses employ almost 14 million across the UK, so we are well-placed to support and implement these changes.

“We look forward to working with the Government on the new Growth and Skills Levy, ensuring the necessary reforms can help drive growth across the family business sector and the whole economy.”

Andy Cook, Chief Executive of the Centre for Social Justice, said:

“The King announced 40 new bills – a record – but there was little focus on the key issues needed to address many of our divided nation’s deep seated systemic problems and the root causes of poverty.

“There was nothing on welfare, social care, and very little on health.   

“Education desperately needs reform, but you cannot benefit from school if you don’t go to school.  There was nothing about the school absence crisis with record levels of ghost children, out of school more than in it, and 1-in-5 kids persistently absent. 

“Our prisons are overflowing, but the King had nothing to say about that.  

“Employment changes must prioritise the rollout of support services to reduce economic inactivity. But a blanket ban of zero-hour contracts would be a mistake, many people on low incomes value them.  

“We welcome more devolved decision making, ending of no-fault evictions, empowering police and reforming the apprenticeship levy.  

“But these new laws will not be enough on their own to bring about Britain’s economic and social recovery. A revitalised sense of individual and family self-reliance are just as vital.  This government needs a new contract with the people, one that helps people help themselves from falling into poverty, and gives them every chance of escaping it if they do.  We urgently need to hear more about that.”

NFER Chief Executive, Carole Willis, said:

“NFER welcomes today’s announcement which includes a raft of education policies to tackle challenges in the sector. Making teacher recruitment and retention an urgent policy priority, and outlining a strategic approach to provide funding to recruit6,500 new teachers to the sector, will help ensure a high-quality education for children and young people is delivered.

“Our research shows that currently too many people will not have the essential employment skills that employers need for the future. We hope that the establishment of Skills England will help to address this.

“Reforming the apprenticeship levy is necessary, as our research indicates that the current design of the apprenticeship levy cannot accommodate a large increase in apprenticeship starts among SMEs. We hope that a redesign of the existing levy will ensure that barriers to apprenticeships for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, will be removed.”

NUS UK President, Amira Campbell, said:

“The Skills England bill shows that this Government is prioritising education. We are looking forward to seeing this bill increase the quality of training for apprentices in England.

“Students have been campaigning hard on both public transport costs and mental health provision, so we are particularly pleased to see that the government has listened to the student voice, and plans to enable the renationalisation of buses and trains, as well as modernising our mental health services.

“We are also glad to see the new Government fulfil their manifesto commitments to revive the Renters Rightsbill which will protect renters in the private sector from exploitative landlords and poor living conditions. We urge those in charge of the bill to listen to the students who campaigned before the bill was sidelined, and include student renters in the protections that will be afforded to private renters.

“We call on the government to now deliver the other manifesto pledges that they were elected on, particularly the extension of voting rights to16 and 17 year olds. At 16, you can pay tax, live independently, and even join the armed forces. Therefore, you should have a say in the way your taxes are spent.

“However, from their agenda to advance workers’ rights, reform the apprenticeships levy and tackle spiking – something which plagues university campuses – it isvery clearthat, for the first time in years, we have aGovernment prepared to progress the rights and conditions of students and young people.

“We look forward to forging a collaborative relationship with them.”

EngineeringUK Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Beatrice Barleon comments:

“We welcome the creation of Skills England and the strategic approach to identifying and meeting skills needs. We look forward to working with Skills England and other stakeholders on developing a comprehensive workforce and training plan for the engineering and technology, to ensure that the sector, and indeed the entire economy, can thrive with a highly trained and adaptable workforce.

“The ambition to ‘raise educational standards and break down barriers to opportunity’ is something we at EngineeringUK have been calling for. As the King outlined, the urgency of the climate challenge creates new job opportunities, many of them in engineering and technology. For young people to seize these opportunities we need an education system equipped to deliver for all. A focus on recruiting and retaining more STEM teachers alongside a modern curriculum will be key.”

“It is good news that the government has  committed to ensuring that the apprenticeship levy supports businesses to develop and upskill future and existing staff. A future growth & skills levy must focus on enabling more young people to gain access to entry-level apprenticeships. A greater pre-apprenticeship offer will help but the funding system must also lead to more opportunities for young people to access Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships. We look forward to working with the government to achieve this and deliver on their ‘youth guarantee’.” 

Jacob Diggle, UK Youth chief impact officer, said:

“The speech was an opportunity to announce the introduction of votes at 16 – an easy win for engaging young people in democracy. There was cross-party support for this and we hoped the change could have been made before the local government elections in 2025. 

“However, it was good to see commitments to other important issues affecting young people – including anti-social behaviour, employment and mental health. These are all issues which we know youth work offers an effective solution. 

“We urge the Government to invest in youth work for the benefit of young people nationwide – UK Youth’s Untapped research has shown increasing investment in youth work can actually save billions of pounds by improving employment and health outcomes and reducing crime. 

“UK Youth looks forward to continuing our work with the Government to unlock the power of youth work for all.” 

British Safety Council’s Chairman, Peter McGettrick said:

“The King’s Speech marks a welcome change of pace, focusing on measures to deliver real growth, alongside improvements that offer the hopes of happier and healthier lives for all. We know that, to improve public health outcomes, boost productivity, and grow the economy we need a workforce that is safe, happy, and healthy; and there were some measures in the King’s Speech which will begin to tackle these challenges head-on.

“Particularly welcome was this administration’s decision to put employment rights at the heart of its agenda, through its ‘new deal for workers’. While this will, rightly, be subject to public consultation, we would hope that provisions are not further diluted, as this risks exposing another generation of workers to practices that can make them less safe, less healthy, and less happy in the workplace.

“The confirmation that Martyn’s Law will reach the statute books is welcome, both for the public and those working in higher-risk entertainment venues. We also look forward to seeing more on the Government’s plans to legislate to deal with the more powerful artificial intelligence models and make sure we maximise the benefits while ensuring that people’s safety and wellbeing are assured.

“Wellbeing did get one mention in this King’s speech, in relation to a Children’s Wellbeing Bill, and I hope this can mark the beginning of a new approach, where wellbeing becomes a golden thread throughout government policy. We also welcome the proposed reforms to focus on prevention, improve access to mental health services, and afford mental health with the same attention and focus as physical health.

“Overall, this King’s Speech sets out a legislative agenda moving in the right direction for a safer, healthier, and happier society and we stand ready to assist the Government in doing just that.”

Ben Rowland, AELP Chief Executive Officer, said:

“It is positive to see that skills policy is rightly a priority for the incoming Labour Government with Skills England and reform of the Apprenticeship Levy pencilled in for the first parliamentary session.  The Government has a golden opportunity to refresh how the key mechanisms within the skills system work – it must not just move the functions from IfATE to Skills England if they are going to stay exactly the same.”

“Growth is the overriding mission for the Labour government, and that will need a skills system which works for employers, and learners first and foremost, with providers enabled to serve them. With so many of today’s plans needing a highly trained workforce, AELP urges government to work closely with the provider community who currently deliver skills in the workplace to ensure it can deliver its ambitious agenda for growth.”

Catherine Foot, Director of Phoenix Insights, said:

“People are living longer and the UK productivity gap cannot be addressed without using the talents of all ages in the workforce. Despite that, many people aged over 50 feel undervalued or left behind, facing a range of barriers to work and limited opportunities to retrain.

“One in three workers in the UK is currently aged over 50, however, 3.5 million people aged between 50-65 are economically inactive, representing a major loss to our economy. Employers, government, and providers need to do more to inspire and support people to actively plan their careers across what might now be 50 or 60 years of working life and we are glad that employment policies are a key focus for Labour. Supporting people, of all ages, to find and remain in good work for longer is vital to tackling economic inactivity and breaking down barriers to opportunities.

“We therefore welcome today’s announcement to create Skills England, reform the Apprenticeship Levy and devolve more powers to local leaders. Local areas are often better placed to transform local labour markets by joining up support for caring, health, employment, skills and careers advice and break down the barriers that many people over the age of 50 face when attempting to access work. “

Naomi Clayton, Director of Policy and Research at Learning and Work Institute (L&W), said:

“We are pleased to see the focus on economic growth in today’s King’s Speech. To this end, we look forward to working with ministers to reverse the decades of decline in investment in skills and help more people into work. We’ve set out a blueprint for change to improve prosperity and widen opportunity, including through flexing the apprenticeship levy, and therefore welcome the planned reforms. We have also called for a better, more joined-up system that empowers local economies, and hope to see this supported through Skills England.”

Dr Ben Silverstone, Workforce Transformation Strategy and Policy at WMG, University of Warwick, said:

“As our economy is transformed, over the coming decades, the relationship between industry, education and government is critical in ensuring that the immediate needs of industry are met. Hand in hand with this, the further devolution of skills budgets to local areas will be essential in ensuring that place specific provision can be brought to bear, in a funded capacity, where businesses require support to meet local needs as part of a regional and national strategy.

“Investment in the further education system is much needed, and represents a critical, and widespread, recognition of the role that it plays in supporting businesses. The commitment to supporting young people is vital, but this does not go far enough.

“There is also a huge number of employees in the workforce in need of re skilling and upskilling – it is critical that the role of further education is not diminished in this capacity.  We call upon the Government to make colleges bastions of industrial capability through skilling the existing workforce.

“Finally, the Apprenticeship Levy is in desperate need of change. We welcome commitments to expand its use. Enabling businesses to spend their levy contributions on impactful training, alongside high-quality apprenticeships, will increase investment in the workforce and prevent valuable funding from disappearing from the skills landscape where it goes unspent. We urge the Government to go further, and to allow levy paying organisations to transfer up to 100% of their unspent levy into their supply chain to support an integrated approach to capability development, helping to anchor industry in the UK.”

Lisa Randall, partner and head of higher education at RSM UK, comments:

“While yesterday’s King’s Speech didn’t mention legislation specifically for universities, higher education institutions will play an important part in kickstarting growth through skills and knowledge exchange in partnership with local businesses. The Children’s Wellbeing Bill is also significant and will provide enhanced support for schools and academies, ensuring all children and young people can reach their full potential. Improving access to high quality education and promoting wellbeing empowers children and young people to grow and develop under a strong curriculum, raising opportunities for further education and career prospects. The Skills England Bill also presents further openings for universities to help drive economic growth. as it is focused on working collaboratively, employer partnerships and future skills.”

Richard Lewis, partner and head of further education, skills and academies at RSM UK, added:

“As the skills landscape shifts to a devolved approach, universities need to be informed and given the opportunity to contribute to local decision-making, as they are equipped with the knowledge to advise on improving skills, business partnerships, and research and innovation. Government’s ambitions to support children and young people are encouraging, however given the extreme pressures public finances are under, the road ahead will be challenging. The sector needs employers, unions and government to work in conjunction with education providers to boost skills training, however at the heart of this must be appropriate and sustained improvement in funding for the education sector.”