91探花

In the King’s Speech yesterday, King Charles highlighted government’s commitment to raising educational standards and break down barriers to opportunity for children and young people. 

The Children’s Wellbeing Bill will be introduced to raise standards in education and promote children’s wellbeing, and the new national skills body, Skills England, will see skills powers devolved to local areas to support the assessment of skills needs and the training landscape. 

Lisa Randall, partner and head of higher education at 91探花, comments: 'While yesterday’s King’s Speech didn’t mention legislation specifically for universities, higher education institutions will play an important part in kickstarting growth through skills and knowledge exchange in partnership with local businesses. The Children’s Wellbeing Bill is also significant and will provide enhanced support for schools and academies, ensuring all children and young people can reach their full potential. Improving access to high quality education and promoting wellbeing empowers children and young people to grow and develop under a strong curriculum, raising opportunities for further education and career prospects. The Skills England Bill also presents further openings for universities to help drive economic growth. as it is focused on working collaboratively, employer partnerships and future skills.' 

Richard Lewis, partner and head of further education, skills and academies at 91探花, added: 'As the skills landscape shifts to a devolved approach, universities need to be informed and given the opportunity to contribute to local decision-making, as they are equipped with the knowledge to advise on improving skills, business partnerships, and research and innovation. Government’s ambitions to support children and young people are encouraging, however given the extreme pressures public finances are under, the road ahead will be challenging. The sector needs employers, unions and government to work in conjunction with education providers to boost skills training, however at the heart of this must be appropriate and sustained improvement in funding for the education sector.'