Get Britain Working White Paper: What you Need to Know

The government has just launched its Get Britain Working White Paper, introducing sweeping changes to how employment support and skills training will be delivered. Here’s what you need to know about the key changes coming in 2025/26.

The Big Investment

The government is putting significant money behind these reforms, with £115 million for a new ‘Connect to Work’ supported employment programme and £45 million for eight mayoral areas to test the new Youth Guarantee. A further £40 million will transform the Apprenticeship Levy into a Growth and Skills Levy, while £55 million will develop the new jobs and careers service.

Major Changes Coming

Employment support is being transformed, with Jobcentre Plus becoming a comprehensive jobs and careers service. The focus will shift from monitoring benefits to supporting career development, with better integration between employment support and skills training. Support will be more personalised, helping people not just find jobs but build lasting careers.

The Youth Guarantee aims to ensure all 18-21 year olds can access education, training or employment support. Eight regional trailblazers will test this approach, working with major organisations to prevent youth unemployment. This marks a significant change in how young people are supported into the workforce.

Local control is being enhanced, with more power given to mayors and local authorities. The Adult Skills Fund will continue under local management, but with greater flexibility in how funding is used to meet local labour market needs.

Skills England

As Skills England takes shape, it will:

Work closely with combined authorities, businesses, trade unions, and education providers to coordinate skills needs at both national and local levels. This ensures qualifications and training align with employer requirements.

Support local areas to build effective skills systems, working with combined authorities and Employer Representative Bodies to create clearer career pathways and enhance workplace skills development.

Take a data-driven approach, using local vacancy data and Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) to map skills requirements across the country.

Address key future trends identified in their September 2024 report, including the 22% projected growth in non-clinical healthcare roles, rising STEM demand, green jobs creation, and the impact of automation on low-skilled work.

Partner strategically with the Industrial Strategy Council, Migration Advisory Committee, Department for Work and Pensions, and devolved governments to ensure coordinated action on skills development across the UK.

This coordinated approach aims to better match training with labour market needs while boosting growth and spreading opportunities throughout the UK.

What This Means For You

Providers will need to review their strategic plans in the next three to six months and start discussions with local authorities about partnerships. It’s important to check if current provision matches local needs and consider capacity for new types of provision.

Employers can expect closer engagement with the new jobs service and new opportunities through the Growth and Skills Levy. They’ll have more say in local skills planning and better support for their recruitment needs.

Jobseekers will benefit from more personalised employment support, better access to skills training, improved careers guidance, and more local opportunities.

Looking Ahead

Keep watch for guidance about Skills England and monitor Youth Guarantee developments. New funding arrangements will be announced, and it’s important to start identifying potential partners early.

For those in trailblazer areas, there will be opportunities to shape how these reforms work in practice. The success of these changes will depend on strong local partnerships and the ability to adapt to local needs while maintaining quality.

These reforms represent the biggest shake-up of employment support in a generation. They aim to create a more integrated, locally-responsive system that better serves both jobseekers and employers. While the changes are significant, they offer real opportunities to improve how we support people into work and help them progress in their careers.