Recommendation 16

HM Government · verbatim extract Accepted in Part

The government partially agrees with this recommendation The government will be closely monitoring the outcomes of the Regional Skills Pilots to assess the impacts they have had on supporting individuals into clean energy sectors. We have commissioned an independent evaluation of the pilots, and we will use the learnings to inform future policy. The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper set out our plans to introduce reformed qualifications pathways at level 3 and level 2, responding to the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendations. From 20th October 2025 to 12th January 2026, we ran a consultation seeking views on V Levels, a new level 3 vocational qualification to sit alongside academic (A Level) and technical (T Level) pathways; new level 2 Foundation and Occupational Certificates; and expanding T Level provision. We will be publishing the Government’s response to the consultation in due course. Skills England is committed to supporting opportunity for all by simplifying access to skills in order to boost economic growth and reduce skills shortage vacancies in priority areas. Collaboration with industry, the education sector and regional partners is a key part of this enabling us to co-design new approaches with employers utilising the flexibilities that the growth and skills levy brings, such as foundation apprenticeships, shorter duration apprenticeships and apprenticeship units. Skills England continues to work with employers when developing occupational standards to ensure they meet ongoing skills needs. We propose linking V Levels to occupational standards to ensure their content is up-to-date and also ensure any new T Levels are the right fit for both employers and providers, and continue to offer clear progression for students while meeting ongoing skills needs. The government wants employers to be able to use the Growth & Skills Levy on short, flexible training courses, starting from April 2026. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units and they will be available in critical skills areas. These courses are designed to help employers respond quickly to evolving skills needs and invest in workforce development. By addressing critical skills gaps in the economy, these programmes will enable quicker, targeted upskilling, helping employers to build a more agile and productive workforce while supporting individuals to gain skills which have a long-lasting impact on careers. The five clean energy TECs will work through the hub and spoke model and we expect the reach to be much wider. One of the TEC objectives is “to collaborate with a network of providers (via a hub and spoke model) to boost sector-specific skills provision and quality both locally and nationally”. Through this model, we expect the TEC programme, through its delivery partners and spokes, to have a benefit wider than that for employers and learners associated with the TEC itself. Quality interactions between employers and young people are an essential element of good careers education. We are funding The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to support schools and colleges to embed best practice in the delivery of careers information, advice and guidance, so young people are aware of the full range of training and careers available to them and have access to a broad range of employers and workplaces, including those in the green sectors. This is delivered through the national network of Career Hubs, Career Leader training, and our network of business volunteers, including Enterprise Advisers and Cornerstone Employers.