Skills and Post-16 Education Bill is welcome news

Commenting on the proposed Skills and Post-16 Education Bill announced in today’s Queen’s Speech, Claire Warnes, head of education, skills and productivity at KPMG UK, said:

“Following the publication of the Government’s White Paper in January, the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill is really welcome news, as it promises the legislation needed to deliver more local adult learning and training opportunities across England.

“Right now, it’s never been more important to reskill and upskill adults who have been displaced from work due to the pandemic – often caused by employees being furloughed for a long period or because they don’t have the support to adapt their skills for new roles – as the skills gap has been exacerbated by COVID-19.

“Civic leaders, businesses and local education providers now need to think creatively and coordinate how they can move forward to deliver essential place-based skills solutions and not one size fits all, as well as how to provide agility in learning. Whether it’s colleges working with companies to link training with jobs through the Skills Accelerator, universities providing more flexible programmes, or employers reskilling their furloughed employees – there’s plenty of opportunities for levelling up communities to create productive, skilled and fulfilled workforces.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors
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About KPMG UK

KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, operates from 21 offices across the UK with approximately 16,000 partners and staff.  The UK firm recorded a revenue of £2.3 billion in the year ended 30 September 2020.

KPMG is a global organization of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Legal, Tax and Advisory services. It operates in 147 countries and territories and has more than 219,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.