Keir Starmer launches Skills England to repair ‘broken’ training system: What can we learn from Wales?

The end of this academic year has seen a significant shift in our political landscape.  For the first time since 2001, a Labour government has received a considerable mandate to enact change across the UK.  Less than one month in position, the spotlight has swiftly moved to education reform with our Prime Minister casting a damning verdict on the current state of affairs.

“Our skills system is in a mess, which is why we are transforming our approach to meet skills needs over the coming decades”.

Kier Starmer, July 2024

Already, the newly appointed education secretary announced to the House of Commons “a short pause and review of post 16 qualification reform at level 3 and below, concluding before the end of the year”.  Consequently, the defunding schedule for BTEC and other level 3 qualifications has temporarily been halted.

This provide an opportunity for reflection and is also an indication of a new and distinct path being forged by a new government.  One that Kier Starmer hopes will “kickstart economic growth, by opening up new opportunities for young people and enabling British businesses to recruit more homegrown talent.”

“From construction to IT, healthcare to engineering, our success as a country depends on delivering highly skilled workforces for the long-term. Skills England will put in place the framework needed to achieve that goal while reducing our reliance on workers from overseas”.

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The ambition is clear.  A Britain that is able grow its own and return to becoming a global economic powerhouse.  The strong ‘Made in Britain, for Britain’ tone will appeal to many and is a continuation of Labour’s approach to entrenching a political centre ground.

It has been over twenty years since the First Minister for the then newly devolved Welsh Government proclaimed a ‘Made in Wales’ approach to education.  Rhodri Morgan’s declaration of “clear red water” between Wales and England saw a raft of changes take place to transform the educational landscape.  Starting with Pre-16 education, Welsh Government ended Standard Attainment Tests (SATs) at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3.  A Foundation Phase brought a new experiential ‘learning through play’ approach to young children’s classrooms, the forerunner to the new Curriculum for Wales.

For Post-16, The Further and Higher Education landscapes significantly altered with the number of universities reducing from 13 to 8, and colleges from 28 to 14.  With the newly launched Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, Medr (Welsh for ‘skill’ or ‘ability’), it’s fair to say that education in Wales has undergone substantive change.  Clear red water indeed.

For some, the water isn’t red enough.  For others, there is a recognition that now is an opportune time to synchronise approaches to education reform across the four nations.  Wales has watched on as successive UK Government education secretaries moved to Free School, Academy and Multi-Academy trust models.  BTEC qualifications became ‘more robust’ (or less appropriate) through adding terminal examinations, T-Levels have been conceived, introduced and reconsidered. All in the backdrop of tuition fee rises (to £9,000 in 2012), the launch of degree apprenticeships in 2015, bringing into law the Apprenticeship Levy in 2016 and devolution of deals for Further Education Institutions (FEIs) in 2023.  When it comes to education, the status quo appears to be change.

So, has all this reform been worthwhile?  Certainly not according to the new UK Government.  A view endorsed by The Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD), who assert that the fundamental challenges around skills remain.

“Skills and labour shortages continue to impact employers across all four nations and virtually all sectors of the economy. In addition to this, skills gaps, mismatches and underutilisation point to persistent inefficiencies between the labour market and the skills development system.”

CIPD – Devolution and evolution in UK skills policy, 2023

What can we learn from Wales?

A great deal of thought, energy and innovation has been put into transforming the skills landscape across Wales.  FEIs have autonomy to work with local communities and industry to build specific qualifications.  Lessons from global leaders in education have been digested and informed policy.  There is a real focus on ensuring that labour market intelligence and voices from employers are heard.  Emphasis is placed on creating collaborative educational models that avoid unnecessary competition.  The intent is clearly there, but there is certainly a sizable gap in implementation.

The Welsh Government’s own review of the skills system in Wales (2023) acknowledges the paramount need for Initial and Continuing Vocational Education and Training (IVET & CVET),  but highlights the continual struggles of successfully engaging with key stakeholders, meaningful sector collaboration, future-proofing and being ready to respond.

“Evidence from stakeholders suggests that some reform is needed to the vocational qualifications system in Wales, including initiatives to enhance responsiveness to employers’ needs and increased agility to reflect rapidly changing skills priorities”.

“There was a strong message throughout both phases of the research about the need to be future-focussed, ensuring strategy addresses changes to the economy and labour market, such as the move towards net zero, digital industries, and the ageing demography of Wales and designing a system agile enough to respond to such changes”.

Review of the skills systemin Wales: initial and continuing vocational education and training (2023)

This is not underplaying the importance of intent and indeed policy.  Policy does drive what I would term as ‘macro-practice’.  It is a powerful lever which overnight can influence or demand entire sectors to think differently.  It is also a lever which carriers a high level of responsibility, foresight and understanding of the microcosms that make up a given echo-system.  This where policy requires implementers of change who have the skill to navigate and connect very different microcosms. They require ‘echo-connectors’. 

Echo-connectors who understand that employers typically have a consumerist understanding of the world and would expect a skills pipeline to enhance commercial capability.  Universities will want to ensure that their expertise is at the cutting edge of delivery, producing a workforce that enables economic growth.  Schools will see themselves as the initial nurturers of this pipeline, shaping skills at their earliest stage.  Colleges and training providers regard themselves as the talent reformers, upskilling and reskilling across a broad range of disciplines.  Regulators, regional authorities and educational bodies play the role of custodians, to ensure that all is fair and above board.

Seems like a neat world.  But there is one common challenge that both separates and unites.  Fundamentally, these actors: consumer, expert, nurturer, reformer and custodian are in an existential contest to exist.  Either financially, through remaining relevant, or both.  For the show to continue, all actors need to be valued and understood.  More importantly, the show needs to resonate with the most important part of echo-system.  One that is often neglected and misunderstood. The audience, the community.

If you can understand how to authentically connect and engage with communities, if you can navigate the different worlds in which our actors reside, if you can give an opportunity to actors who are often marginalised or forgotten, if you can openly balance their existential anxieties with the undoubted capacity to contribute, you might have a chance of writing the script that propels our education and skills system to reflect the very best of us.

You might be able to fix it.

By Yusuf Ibrahim, Assistant Principal at Cardiff and Vale College,