The amount of vacancies due to skills shortages in England more than doubled between 2017 and 2022, from 226,500 to 531,200.
At Match My Project, we’ve been tackling this problem through our Pathways to Work feature, which gets people from underserved communities into work and training by facilitating partnerships between community organisations and businesses.
We’re proud of our work. But we need changes at a wider policy level to better address the nationwide skills gap.
This week, the #KingsSpeech laid out the government’s agenda and commitments for the year ahead.
The focus on investing in skills and education is encouraging.
This is what the King pledged:
My Government will establish Skills England which will have a new partnership with employers at its heart, and my Ministers will reform the apprenticeship levy.
Let’s take a deeper dive.
Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity: Skills England Bill
The King’s Speech introduced the Skills England Bill which aims to boost skills training and tackle skills shortages to support sustained economic growth.
“The Skills England Bill delivers on [the government’s] manifesto commitment to simplify and improve the skills system, ensuring the supply of skills needed for the economy and breaking down barriers to opportunity.” – The King’s Speech briefing document.
This plan has threefold objectives:
- Developing a single picture of national and local skills needs.
- Identifying the training for which the Growth and Skills Levy will be accessible. This involves ensuring that government-funded training available to learners and employers aligns with skills needs.
- Ensuring that the national and regional skills systems are meeting skills needs and are aligned.
Partnership work is at the heart of the government’s plan to build a more resilient and skilled workforce by bringing together businesses, providers, unions, Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and national government to tackle skills shortages and inequalities.
We support this strategy. Collaboration between the public, private and voluntary sectors has always been a key part of Match My Project’s approach to facilitating Social Value delivery.
Pathways to Work: Aligned with Government Priorities
Our Pathways to Work feature is already well-positioned to support the goals outlined in the King’s Speech and the formation of Skills England. Here’s how:
- Facilitating Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships: Pathways to Work connects community organisations, businesses, and job seekers, creating the exact type of collaborative ecosystem that Skills England aims to foster.
- Addressing Local Skills Needs: By matching local talent with businesses seeking specific skills, our platform helps identify and address skills gaps at a grassroots level, aligning with Skills England’s goal of understanding local skills needs.
- Breaking Down Barriers: We focus on connecting underserved communities with opportunities, directly supporting the government’s commitment to break down barriers to opportunity.
Looking Ahead
As the government moves forward with its plans to establish Skills England and reform the apprenticeship levy, Pathways to Work is ready to play a crucial role. We’re committed to aligning with these new initiatives, and ensuring that we continue to be at the forefront of creating meaningful partnerships that drive Social Value and economic growth.
Our platform and partnerships can help accelerate the implementation of the government’s skills agenda, creating more good jobs and training opportunities across the UK.
Ready to make an investment in the future? Post your opportunities on Pathways to Work today and connect with motivated young talent in your community.
Curious? Learn more about the benefits of Pathways to Work from our CEO, Dan, here.
