Skills 2030: why the adult skills system is failing to build an economy that works for everyone

This report argues that England's current adult skills system cannot deliver an economy that works for everyone: low demand and investment among employers has resulted in a glut of low-quality provision with poor outcomes in terms of pay and productivity. The market-led system has neither delivered the quantity nor the quality of training needed and it has failed the people and the places that need it most. The report reviews the evidence and recommends that, in order to build a skills system fit for the future, three key weaknesses will need to be overcome: (1) demand for skills among employers is low; (2) too much provision is low quality with poor outcomes; and (3) the training system has failed to tackle regional and social inequalities. The apprenticeship levy as currently formulated would fail to restore employer investment to the levels of a decade ago. The report proposes that the government expands the apprenticeship levy into a wider skills levy and creates a regional skills fund to invest in the lowest-skilled areas.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less