Skills England: New National Body to Overhaul 'Fragmented' Skills System"

Richard Pennycook, a Department for Education non-executive director and former Co-operative Group chief, has been appointed as interim chair of Skills England. This new national body aims to address the "fragmented and broken" skills system in the UK.

Pennycook will lead the establishment of Skills England while the government works to appoint a permanent board, chair, and CEO in the coming months. This development follows the recent King's Speech, which announced legislation (laws) to transfer functions from the current Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to the new skills body.

The government stated that IfATE will continue to operate while Skills England is established in phases over the next 9 to 12 months. However, the Department for Education has not yet clarified whether IfATE will eventually close once Skills England is fully operational.

A Skills England bill, to be introduced in Parliament this year, will initially transfer "relevant" functions from IfATE to the Secretary of State for Education during the setup phase of Skills England.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his support for the new body, stating that Skills England will "kickstart economic growth, by opening up new opportunities for young people and enabling British businesses to recruit more home-grown talent."

The Department for Education will initially host Skills England in a "shadow form" while legislation is passed to officially establish its role and remit. In the interim, Skills England will begin building relationships with employers and assessing future skills needs.

Caroline Larissey NHBF Chief Executive commented “The creation of Skills England represents a significant step towards addressing the skills gap in our sector. The hair and beauty sector has long struggled with fragmented training systems and skills shortages. We hope that this new body will work closely with sector representatives to ensure that vocational education and apprenticeships are aligned with the real needs of our sector.