University Alliance has responded to Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement to overhaul the skills and apprenticeships system.
Vanessa Wilson, CEO of the Alliance, said:
“Alliance Universities lead the way in skills-focussed learning which benefits industry and our public services. We welcome the Labour Party’s proposals to devolve spending on adult education skills and to establish a new body to oversee skills development. As set out in our Vision for Growth and Blueprint for Lifelong Learning, we believe it is essential that universities, employers and government all come together to address the high-level skills gap. We look forward to working with the Labour party to ensure that their policy would embed universities in skills strategy at local, regional and national levels.
“It has been clear for some time that reforms to the apprenticeships levy are needed. We hope that the creation of a ‘growth and skills levy’ will give employers the flexibility they need, while ensuring that the hugely popular degree apprenticeships offer is supported to grow. To really turbo-charge degree apprenticeships, regulatory reform will also be necessary. We stand ready to support the Labour party as they continue to shape their skills policy.”
