Local MP and Skills Minister, Gillian Keegan, did the Government's morning media round to launch the Lifetime Skills Guarantee last week (Thursday 1st April).
An estimated 11 million adults now have the opportunity to gain a new qualification for free, designed to help them to gain in-demand skills and secure great jobs. Almost 400 qualifications are available, backed by £95 million in government funding in 2021/22 - as part of the government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee.
The qualifications on offer include, engineering, social care and conservation - and are available to any adult who has not already achieved a qualification at Level 3 (equivalent to A-levels).
The roll out marks a major milestone in the delivery of the landmark Lifetime Skills Guarantee - announced by the Prime Minister in September 2020. The Guarantee aims to transform the skills system so everyone, no matter where they live or their background, can gain the skills they need to progress in work at any stage of their lives. It will also ensure employers have access to the skilled workforce they need, and more people are trained for the skills gaps that exist now, and in the future.
Adults who take up the free courses have the potential to boost career prospects, wages and help fill skills gaps, while supporting the economy and building back better.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“As we cautiously lift lockdown restrictions, the government’s focus is on recovering from the pandemic and building back better.
“The Lifetime Skills Guarantee is fundamental to that – with free courses giving adults the expertise they need to find new, better jobs.
“My message is clear. At every stage of your life, we will help you get the skills you need to train, retrain, and get into jobs you want and our economy needs.”
Education Minister and Chichester MP Gillian Keegan said:
“The Lifetime Skills Guarantee will ensure everyone can train, retrain or upskill throughout their lives. We are all working longer and many of us will embark on several careers throughout our lives. This guarantee will support people to do so and in the short term aid people to transition into new industries that have been more impacted by covid-19.
“It will help give millions of people the chance to gain the skills they need to secure rewarding careers in key sectors and help plug our national skills gap with almost 400 courses on offer including accountancy, dental nursing and engineering.”
As well as the free courses, as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, thousands of adults have taken advantage of new Skills Bootcamps which offer free, flexible courses lasting up to 16 weeks covering areas including construction, digital and technical. Gillian recently visited one of the six Bootcamps already up and running to see firsthand people learning specific skills needed by local industries, which will lead to a fast-track to an interview with a local employer at the end. Skills Bootcamps will be expanded across the country later this year.
The government’s Skills for Jobs White Paper, published in January, enshrines the Lifetime Skills Guarantee – setting out landmark reforms that will realign the post-16 education system around the needs of employers so that people are trained for the skills gaps that exist now and in the future, in sectors the economy needs, including construction, digital, clean energy and manufacturing.
The White Paper forms a key part of the government’s Plan for Jobs which is protecting, supporting and creating jobs across the country and will help everyone to benefit from the opportunities available to them.
