Recruitment and training under the spotlight as UK government launches Skills England

By Chris Wheal

July 25, 2024

Quick wins for the new prime minister? Credit: UK Parliament official portrait

One of the newly elected UK Prime Minister’s first announcements was the launch of a new body, Skills England, “to bring together the fractured skills landscape and create a shared national ambition to boost the nation’s skills”.

The new body will swallow up the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). The widely criticised apprenticeship levy is being abolished as part of the deal. A growth and skill system with more flexibility will replace it.

Richard Pennycook CBE, former chief executive of the Co-operative Group and lead non-executive director at the DfE, was named the interim chair.

The announcement trumpeted: “Supporting local areas to develop the skilled workforces they need – in particular across construction and healthcare – is fundamental to the government’s mission to raise growth sustainably. By working with the Migration Advisory Committee, Skills England will also help reduce reliance on overseas workers.”

Pace of technology in life sciences

British pharma firms snapped it up. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry welcomed the news. Joe Edwards, director of UK competitiveness and devolved nations at the ABPI, said: “Skills are central to the government’s growth mission, and we welcome today’s announced reforms, which reflect longstanding calls from industry. In innovative sectors like life sciences, the pace of technology change requires a skills base that can adapt accordingly. 

“The launch of Skills England, and additional flexibility of the new growth and skills levy, will support sectors like ours to continue growing the number of apprentices we recruit, enable existing staff to reskill, retrain and help the UK in its bid to attract international mobile investment at a time of fierce competition.”

Sir Keir Starmer said: “Our skills system is in a mess, which is why we are transforming our approach to meet skills needs over the coming decades.”

Accessible levy funding

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson described Skills England’s role: “The organisation will identify the training for which the growth and skills levy will be accessible – an important reform, giving businesses more flexibility to spend levy funds on training for the skills they need, which employers have long been calling for.”

Skills England will maintain a list of levy-eligible training to ensure value for money, and that the mix of government-funded training available to learners and employers aligns with the identified skills needs.  

The government will also publish a strategy for post-16 education, which is claims will break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth.

Salaries and benefits top priority

The UK pharma sector isn’t doing too badly on the recruitment front. Research recently showed younger workers choosing careers in pharmaceuticals over other sectors due to perceptions of better work/life balance and social purpose.

In its report ‘Young people’s perceptions of careers in the pharmaceutical industry’, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) found that a good salary was the top factor influencing career decisions of young people, with 50% saying good earnings were the most important factor when looking for roles.

The report recommended salary and benefits should be in job adverts, and workplace descriptions should be transparent from the outset. 

The sector is great at attracting so-called STEM graduates but the report warned: “Many young people remain unaware of the diverse range of opportunities within the industry, and the various routes of entry. The number of life sciences apprenticeships has been steadily increasing over the years, but this lack of understanding contributes to perceptions of narrow career pathways and limited diversity. Companies within the industry need to showcase the wide range of roles available, ensuring an inclusive and dynamic workforce for the future.”

The recommendations were:

1. Salary and benefits in job adverts and workplace descriptions should be transparent from the outset. ABPI research makes clear that understanding the salary and benefits on offer is essential for many young people to even consider roles in the industry.

2. Do not assume that young people know anything about the industry. One of the main findings from focus groups was that young people were unaware about the roles available and impact of the industry. Providing information about the industry for context may make roles more attractive.

3. Be clear about the actual requirements to do the job. Perceived academic and experience barriers to entry were reported as putting many participants off the industry. Including a specific articulation of what is required from candidates may help diversify the candidate pool.

4. Focus on the impact on society and more specifically patients. Many young people said that they were keen to be involved with organisations that impact society – being explicit about your impact is essential.

5. Highlight the projected growth of the sector. A better understanding of job stability and projected growth of the industry may help attract young people to roles in the industry.

6. Think about how you’re advertising your roles and promoting the industry. Many participants spoke about the role of social media in shaping their perceptions of careers in different industries as well as common misconceptions about most roles being based in the lab. Utilising different platforms to promote the industry could help effectively influence this population.