Robert Halfon Confirmed as Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education

As the Great Reshuffle continues, Robert Halfon has been confirmed as Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education. On the 26th of October, Halfon, along with Nick Gibbs, was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Education.

What are Robert Halfon’s Responsibilities?

The minister’s responsibilities include:

• overall strategy for post-16 technical education
• T Levels and transition programme
• qualifications reviews (levels 3 and below)
• higher technical education (levels 4 and 5)
• apprenticeships and traineeships
• further education workforce and funding
• Institutes of Technology
• local skills improvement plans and Local Skills Improvement Fund
• adult education, including basic skills, the National Skills Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
• careers education, information and guidance including the Careers and Enterprise Company
• technical education in specialist schools
• relationship with the Office for Students
• higher education quality and reform
• Lifelong Loan Entitlement
• student experience and widening participation in higher education
• funding for education and training, provision and outcomes for 16- to 19-year-olds
• college governance and accountability
• intervention and financial oversight of further education colleges
• reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training
• international education strategy and the Turing Scheme

Political Career

Robert was elected Conservative MP for Harlow on 6 May 2010. He was Co-Chairman and then Vice Chairman of the Further Education, Skills and Life-Long Learning All-Party Parliamentary Skills Group. 

Robert has also served as:

• Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer – July 2014 to May 2015
• Minister without Portfolio at the Cabinet Office – May 2015 to July 2016
• Minister of State (Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills) at the Department for Education from 17 July 2016 to 12 June 2017.