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Cllr Tom Hunt, Chair of the LGA’s Inclusive Growth Committee Comments on the release of the Government’s post-16 skills strategy White Paper

“Councils, who know their communities and areas best, already play an essential role in bringing together a sometimes-fragmented skills offer for residents and employers.  

“This strategy must result in a more joined up and place-based approach embedding local government’s role so the skills offer is locally led and aligned with helping people into work, and wrap around services such as transport  so people benefit from training opportunities to entering and progressing in work. 

“Investment in V levels and support for young people to gain English and maths qualification is sensible . As councils have a role in providing sufficient local places for young learners, they will need to be a key partner working with Government and local partners to plan the local offer. 

“Alongside this, supporting adults with low or no qualifications increase their skills is also key, which councils deliver through tailored learning. 

“The Government must commit to a clearer skills role for strategic authorities. Where they have new powers including on NEET prevention, we look forward to working with Government, mayors and councils to ensure this can deliver a better offer with a key role for councils within those places.  

“However, as devolution will take time to have coverage and mature across England, it is important the Government also works with councils outside devolution to ensure the skills offer is coordinated across local places." 

Notes to Editors: 

Councils work in partnership with schools, further and higher education, job centres, ICBs, independent training providers, job centres, employers and the voluntary and community sector on skills provision.  

Councils’ skills-related functions include delivery of adult skills from adult community education to skills bootcamps (vital to the talent pipeline), place planning for young people and identifying, tracking, and preventing NEETs, providing wraparound support for residents to make them skills and work ready, drive economic growth (through business support, inward investment etc), work with business to develop LSIPs, lead Connect to Work and local Get Britain Working plans, and are often the largest local employers and buyers in their places.  

Post-16 education and skills white paper