According to Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair at the FSB, more co-ordination is welcome, but delivery is what counts. She said: “Small firms will want to see real safeguards put in place so the new body is not ‘captured’ by large employers.
“The Government’s policy on a new skills levy has significant risks for overall apprenticeship numbers and training opportunities in small firms.
“Labour’s commitment in Opposition to continue current levels of co-investment in apprenticeships must now be formally adopted by Ministers so further decline in numbers can be avoided. Skills England should be tasked with increasing the number of small business apprenticeships year on year.
“Small businesses were enthusiastic early adopters when it comes to apprentices – we want to see this new body overcome the real flaws in curriculum design which have been such a significant factor in apprenticeship decline.
“We also look forward to hearing more from the Government about how Skills England and local growth plans will build on Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), some of which FSB has been leading on writing, for the Department for Education.
“The skills system needs to be adaptable and nimble, as there’s great potential for improvements to growth and productivity if the entire workforce can be equipped with the right skills. Skills England must keep small businesses’ needs and particular strengths central to its way of thinking, and must commit to making the skills system as straightforward as possible for them to navigate.”
