Accepting degrees are valued above technical qualifications would be a “national calamity”, education secretary Gavin Williamson has said.
Speaking at an event for the ResPublica think tank, he said the “outdated, and frankly ridiculous” notion that the only measure of someone’s worth was whether they had a degree had to be put to rest.
He said: “This has never made economic sense. Now, when skills shortages are so acute and the pandemic has thrown up deep challenges for many business sectors, it would be nothing short of a national calamity if we left it unaddressed. So we are tackling it head-on and putting skills first in a radical programme of change to future-proof learning for generations to come.”
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He said the government had put skills right at the heart of its ambitious reforms to make sure the post-Covid recovery has a sure and solid foundation.
“This bill is a signal that tells everyone: we will empower you to get the skills you need to build the life you want. It is a massive investment in lifelong upskilling, an investment in communities so that people can thrive and prosper - wherever they live,” he added.
The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill was presented to Parliament earlier this month. Following on from the Skills for Jobs White Paper, published in January, it makes it a legal requirement for employers and colleges to collaborate and develop local skills plans so that the training on offer meets the need of local areas. It also gives the education secretary powers to intervene if colleges fail to meet that need, and gives every adult access to a flexible loan for higher-level education and training.
Launching the bill, Gavin Williamson said the bill “marks a significant milestone in our journey to transform the skills, training and post-16 education landscape, and level up opportunities across the country”.
Sector leaders are now calling for the government to support the sector with adequate funding so the bill can be implemented by institutions.
