The Association of Colleges (AoC), Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) and City & Guilds have come together as a force for positive change- amplifying the voice of the whole Further Education sector and bringing together a broader network of stakeholders interested in boosting skills.
The Future Skills Coalition will make the case for a skill-led economic recovery from the dual impacts of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result there are now over one million unfilled job vacancies in the UK. The post-16 education sector plays a critical role in driving economic growth – through training, re-training and upskilling millions of people every year.
This coalition will aim to shape a national strategy supporting local growth and to achieve better alignment across disconnected and often conflicting Government Department programmes as a key priority – turning the tide on ten years of underinvestment with a call for a ten-year commitment to skills for future growth and productivity.
Kirstie Donnelly, chief executive of City & Guilds, said: “The English skills system continues to compare very poorly to other OECD nations and investment in adult education has collapsed by 50% over the past decade, meaning 50% fewer people benefitting from the life changing benefits of a vocational education. It should come as no surprise then that employers are crying out for skilled people to fill millions of empty jobs.
“The coalition will focus upon the changes that need to be made to enable us to maximise the potential of the Further Education sector and its impact for individuals, organisations and society. Bringing the disparate organisations that can affect change together in a vitally important movement.”