Phil Smith on Skills England’s Priority Areas, the Industrial Strategy and Bolt on Training

We catch up with Phil Smith CBE, Chair of Skills England at AELP’s annual conference. Phil discusses the recent industrial strategy and Skills England’s priority areas. We discuss TECs (Technical Excellence Colleges), as we have had the bids for the Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTEC), and the Industrial Strategy mentioned DTECS (Defence Technical Excellence Colleges), and the different ways that Skills England and devolved regions could prioritise specialist skills for the priority areas.

Phil also discusses Bolt on Training and Interdisciplinary skills across the priority areas.

We also discuss digital and future AI strategies in the Skills England priority areas. Gavin’s final question is around the future plans to link up DWP and Skills England to address the NEET crisis and how to help adults come out of benefits or support from sickness into sustainable work.

Gavin has said that in nearly 22 years of interviewing people (which is now hundreds of interviews), that he felt this was the best interview he has completed with someone.

So that is well worth checking out: