Skills for Jobs: What Does it Mean? Part III
By Bianca Ritter
A Flexible Lifetime Skills Guarantee?
The third part of the Department for Education’s white paper builds naturally upon the previous section with a nod to the increasing value of advanced technical skills in an economy shaped by what is politely described as “changing skills needs and employment patterns” (re. a national overabundance of arts graduates.) The optimistic summary promises to “ensure that no matter where you start from, or what your circumstances, there will be a flexible, high-quality technical education route available to you.” In particular, the chapter explores upcoming measures intended to make retraining and upskilling accessible to those with changing employment needs as based upon the Lifetime Skills Guarantee discussed by the prime minister in September 2020. Thankfully, the chapter manages to mitigate governmental skepticism over the career prospects of Fatima the ballerina and others in the performing arts. One cannot help but admire the uncharacteristic restraint.
The bulk of this chapter focuses upon the introduction of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement which provides all students access to a loan entitlement for four years’ of post-18 education to use over their lifetime. In contrast to previous loan entitlements, the Department of Education has finally opted to make such loans transferable between institutions and accessible to those pursuing equivalents to higher education (such as apprenticeships). Notably, the text does not reflect outstanding issues with the process of applying to loans as an adult with incomplete higher education (eg.with two or more years of non-sequential university-level education) nor does it offer the expected updates regarding Sharia-law compliant loans. The section somewhat glibly concludes that “Delivering this vision...will require action from government and providers to create and adapt to this new model”, delicately sidestepping any discussion of relevant policy. The issue of non-standardised crediting across universities and educational platforms is briefly acknowledged before being buried under a tactical promise of immediate action. This somewhat non-committal tone is maintained throughout the piece, and while the paper acknowledges that “it is crucial that the user is at the heart of these reforms”, it is almost always unclear how exactly this will be achieved. Only the timeline itself (as the Flexible Lifetime Skills Guarantee will be introduced in 2025) appears grounded in reality.
Perhaps the most conclusive solution offered in the paper’s Flexible Lifetime Skills Guarantee is the promise of supported digital and remote learning. Forged in the crucible of the pandemic, the promise of standardized, universally-accessible digital education seems to offer the unique opportunity to make retraining and upskilling available. In a rare moment of conclusiveness, the paper promises to adopt digital teaching and learning resources created by the College Collaboration Fund while investing in further digital resources for those pursuing advanced technical careers and apprenticeships. A brief and heartwarming interlude introduces the reader to Cheryl (aged 54) who, upon the advice of her job centre coach, is able to digitally upskill (presumably in the post-pandemic wonderland of 2025) by undertaking a 12-week programme on software development. Cheryl is immediately hired due to her newfound technical skills. Bravo Cheryl.
Finally, the chapter seeks to address the issue of non-standardized access to information, advice, and guidance. It helpfully notes, “Young people tend to get advice from their family and friends, which is often outdated and varies greatly according to their socio-economic background.” Following this unexpected revelation, the piece sensibly advocates for the introduction of The Careers & Enterprise Company and the National Careers Service to create a database of interactive careers maps demonstrating relevant career options and vocations. This will be measured by the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance, a system for quantifying the effectiveness of school and college-level career guidance programs. To conclude, the chapter finally addresses the significant issue surrounding a lack of awareness about alternative education routes. Provisions are nominally made to increase awareness about apprenticeships by making government careers support conditional upon school and college adherence to the Baker Clause (which stipulates that all students must have opportunities to meet with relevant apprenticeship providers and learn about technical education options). While the Flexible Lifetime Skills Guarantee seems timely, it is perhaps insufficiently conclusive to instill any real optimism.