This week, as part of the Government’s vision to Build Back Better, the Prime Minister has set out a plan to transform the provision of skills to help people retrain and find new, well-paid jobs.
The Lifetime Skills Guarantee will provide adults in England without an A-Level or equivalent qualifications to take up a free, fully funded college course. Coupled with this, higher education loans are being made more flexible, allowing people to space out their study across their lifetimes and take more high-quality vocational courses, at a time and location that suits them.
This offer will be available from April in England, and will be paid for through the National Skills Fund – one of the Government’s manifesto pledges.
Capital investment worth over £1.5 billion will also be provided to upgrade college buildings and facilities, to ensure that these settings are excellent places for people to learn.
The Lifetime Skills Guarantee has been praised by major employers, including Microsoft, BAE Systems and BT. Indeed, Microsoft said there are ‘no better investments in our future than the kinds of accessible, lifelong and flexible programmes that the Prime Minister has announced’.
A full list of available courses will be set out shortly.
Earlier this year, the Government announced a new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme, to give young people the best possible chance of getting a job. The scheme will directly pay businesses to create new, decent and high-quality jobs for any 16-24 year old at risk of long-term unemployment.
Commenting Suella said:
“Given the ever-changing nature of our economy in recent months, it is vital that young people obtain the skills they need at every stage of their lives, and I am thrilled that the Government is fulfilling its promise to level up opportunity across the country”.
“It is important that a long-term plan is established to ensure that, as and when work changes, young people are readily equipped to tackle a broad range of employment opportunities.”
