Manifesto for Lifelong Education
Manifesto for Lifelong Education
This general election is a watershed moment for the UK's skills agenda. The Lifelong Education Institute believes that solving the UK's skills challenges means addressing them in a holistic way. The path to prosperity requires an education system that puts people first, allowing everyone to become a learner at any stage of life. Raising productivity depends on a well-trained workforce that has opportunities to reskill and upskill throughout the course of their careers. And growth will only return to every left-behind place across the UK by tapping into the talent and potential of all of its residents.
Published:
5 June 2024
Key recommendations include:
The manifesto makes a number of key recommendations for policy changes that affect each of the three key stakeholders in the bid to boost the UK’s knowledge and capabilities: government, business, and education providers. These include:
Implement the Lifelong Learning Entitlement by 2026, and develop it into a co-investment system for lifelong learning that combines contributions from learners, businesses, and government.
Create a digital individual learner account, and introduce Lifelong Learning Pathways for all subjects at levels 1–8.
Expand the apprenticeship levy into a lifelong learning levy, and introduce a skills tax credit for businesses in strategic sectors.
Create an Institute for British Productivity to oversee Regional Skills Improvement Plans, with business, trade union, education provider, learner, and community representatives.
Revise the UK’s industrial strategy to prioritise each region’s comparative advantage, strategic/legacy, and future growth sectors.
Create regional Skills Observatories to identify skills gaps and skills matching opportunities.
Introduce high-density business Skills and Innovation Hub clusters, and Skills Academies to foster curriculum co-design and industry-expert teaching.
Create a Minister for Lifelong Learning with cross-departmental responsibilities in education, business, and innovation.
Mandate businesses to introduce a senior role responsible for workforce development and upskilling.
Mandate universities to create a Department of Lifelong Learning in collaboration with local post-16 education providers.