This section contains key current national and regional employment and welfare reform plans which, collectively, set out to tackle skills challenges through the policies around:


• Employment & Welfare Reform
• Education
• Economic
• Public Services
• Health and Social Care
  

A more detailed schedule of policies and policy implementation related documents can be found in section 2 of the Resource Guide.

EMPLOYMENT

World Class Skills (July 2007)

Since its publication in response to Leitch, the government has:

• Set up the independent and employer led Commission for Employment & Skills to advise the Government
• Launched Train to Gain with a budget of over £1billion by 2010/11
• Over 3000 employers have made the Skills Pledge covering 4m employees
• Set out a proposal for a new Skills Funding Agency to replace the LSC
• Significant reform of the Education system for young people is underway
  

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Work Skills (June 2008)

This describes how integrated employment and skills services will be created to be more responsive to the needs of individuals and employers.

These include:

• Personal Skills Accounts worth around £7,000 each
• An additional 1,200 apprenticeships
• Expansion of Train to Gain
• Business simplification by bringing Train to Gain and Business Link together
• Extending the requirement to train to other out-of-work groups
  

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World Class Apprenticeships: Unlocking Talent, Building Skills for All (2008)

Confirms the government’s commitment to apprenticeships as a major vehicle for up skilling the workforce.  A National Apprenticeship Service was established in April 2009.

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Time to Train

In June 2008, DIUS consulted on the proposed legal right of each reaffirmed right to training and development support.

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From 6 April 2010, the right to request time to train comes into force.  This leaflet sets out how this will work and the benefits for employers - http://www.dius.gov.uk/~/media/publications/T/time-to-train-employer-leaflet .  See also the Business Link website - consider time for training.

Simplification of Skills in England (October 2008)

The UKCES made ten recommendations to the Government which included completion and implementation of the Talent Map – a framework to help employers identify and easily locate the appropriate education, skills and employment service and the creation of a single integrated business brokerage service.

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Reskilling for Recovery (January 2009)

The House of Commons Innovation, Universities and Skills Committee reported critically on the implementation of Leitch.

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Skills for Life: Changing Lives (March 2009)

This policy refreshed the Government's Skills for Life Strategy and provided new resources.

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Skills for Growth – The national skills strategy (November 2009)

This strategy followed the publication of the framework for Higher Education published in November 2009 – Higher Ambitions – and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills report – Towards Ambition 2020: skills, jobs, growth (October 2009) – which looked at the simplification of the education, skills and employment systems in the UK.  Proposals included: three-quarters of people should participate in higher education / complete an advanced apprenticeship or equivalent technician course by the age of 30; creating a new technician class; improving system response to business.  http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/skills-for-growth . 

BIS also published the Skills Investment Strategy 2010 which stated that skills funding would be £4.4 billion in 2010/11, including over £1.75 billion on the Adult Learner Responsive budget aimed at the unemployed (in receipt of benefits for 6 months or more) and those aged between 18-24 under the Young Person’s Guarantee.  The 16 -19 Statement of Priorities and Investment Strategy 2010-11 (January 2010) document provides details of funding and learner numbers for the academic year 2010/11 and marks the transfer of responsibility for planning and funding to local authorities from April 2010.

Regional

East of England Skills & Employment Strategy (2008) 

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WELFARE REFORM

Raising Expectations & Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future (December 2008)

To access the White Paper - click here

The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report 2009

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