This new organisation will bring together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions, providing strategic oversight of the post-16 skills system aligned to the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

Skills England will be established in phases over the next 9-12 months to create a responsive and collaborative skills system and the Skills England Bill will transfer functions from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to Skills England.

Richard Pennycook CBE, former chief executive of the Co-operative Group and lead non-executive director at the DfE, has been appointed as the interim Chair.

Freya Thomas Monk, Managing Director of Vocational Qualifications & Training at Pearson responded to this announcement:

“The Prime Minister's announcement of the establishment of Skills England, with a renewed focus on bridging the skills gap, is a welcome one.

Our recent Skills Map of England showed that automation does not necessarily mean fewer jobs, but it does mean different jobs. We must take urgent steps to ensure that England’s workforce can keep up with the demands of the constantly evolving modern economy, in order to maintain or enhance economic productivity.

We are ready to play our part in this vital effort to bring together policymakers, employers, job seekers, educators and awarding bodies to work together to plan now for the shifts in the workforce, striking the right balance between the supply and demand of specific skill sets at a national and regional level.”

Freya Thomas Monk, Managing Director of Vocational Qualifications & Training at Pearson.