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On this page you'll find details of all the Skills Commission's recent developments and upcoming highlights. If you have any questions regarding any aspect of the Commission's work, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Brief Budget Comment

13th November 2018

In Summary 

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EduSkills Blog: Apprenticeships – Helping Young People at Risk?

8th November 2018

Apprenticeships – Helping Young People at Risk?

Maja Gustafsson | Researcher Education and Skills

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Time to embrace the future with a Minister for Lifelong Learning

11th October 2018

Appearing before the Lord’s Intergenerational Committee, Policy Connect’s Head of Education and Skills – Simon Kelleher – calls for a joint minister to lead a cultural shift in our approach to education and training

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Milburn to Milburn: All Change for the Social Mobility Commission?

11th July 2018

Dame Martina Milburn is the Government’s preferred choice for chair of the Social Mobility Commission and was grilled by the Education Select Committee this week. This is a crunch point for the commission as it seeks to reboot after the resignation of Alan Milburn.

The government has been at pains to emphasise that they will not make a final decision about the appointment until receiving feedback from the committee, although Damien Hinds referring to Alan Milburn as ‘her predecessor’ already might somewhat undermine these protestations.

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Skills Commission reception

Skills Commission seeks evidence for fourth 'Spotlight' inquiry on women in engineering

24th April 2018
In the ‘Year of Engineering’, the Skills Commission are conducting a 6 month inquiry as part of its Spotlight series, examining women in engineering and the skills system. This timely inquiry will be co-chaired by Lucy Allan MP, Preet Gill MP and Professor Sandra McNally. This inquiry is kindly supported by the Learning & Work Institute, the Gatsby Foundation, the Hadlow Group and Veolia.
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EduSkills blog: Skills Commission Reception

27th February 2018
This week we hosted a Parliamentary reception for the Skills Commission on Wednesday to celebrate the Commission’s Spotlight series, with a keynote address from Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Angela Rayner MP. As figures released this week showed another decline in apprenticeship start figures, we were joined by Parliamentarians, providers, employers and key sector stakeholders to discuss how more opportunities could be opened up for disadvantaged or overlooked groups through the skills system, including through apprenticeships.
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Spotlight on

Skills Commission launches third 'Spotlight' inquiry on apprenticeships and social mobility

1st August 2017

The Skills Commission’s Spotlight series is launching its third cross-party inquiry, examining the impact of recent apprenticeship reforms on the opportunities available to disadvantaged young people aged 16-24. This timely inquiry will be co-chaired by Conservative MP Michelle Donelan, and Labour MP Lilian Greenwood,  alongside sector expert Peter Mayhew-Smith, Principal of Kingston and Carshalton Colleges

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Spotlight on older workers

MPs and Peers call for skills reform to address longer working lives

21st April 2017
A cross-party Commission of parliamentarians from both Houses has called for a series of reforms to meet the skills, labour and employment challenges of longer working lives. The recommendations set out within the new Skills Commission report on older workers – Spotlight On…Lifelong Learning for an Ageing Workforce – have become especially relevant in light of the findings of two recent reports stating that the State Pension Age will have to increase sooner than initially expected.
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Businesses to meet pupils for better career advice

Lords pass bill amendment so pupils and businesses can meet in schools for tailored career development

3rd March 2017
The Skills Commission welcomes the timely amendment to the Technical and Further Education Bill which will see collaboration between local business, schools and colleges to ensure pupils benefit from knowledge of technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. This follows the recent launch of two key reports from the Commission recommending better Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) and for educational centres to become skills hubs with local businesses.
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Skills Commission issues report calling for strategic skills funding decisions for devolution - Going Places launches in Parliament with Lord David Blunkett

8th December 2016
BREAKING NEWS: Skills Commission issues report calling for strategic skills funding decisions for devolution: the Skills Commission is today calling for devolution funding to be based on an area’s ambition and need, not just population or business size, to ensure devolved areas can fill the skills gap.
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