Briefing Note: Skills and Training Provisions in The King’s Speech 2024

Briefing Note: Skills and Training Provisions in The King’s Speech 2024

Date: 17 July 2024

Author: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA

Purpose

This briefing note provides an analysis of the skills and training-related provisions outlined in His Majesty’s Most Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament for 2024. It focuses on legislative initiatives aimed at improving education, training, and skill development to enhance workforce capabilities and economic growth.

Key Legislative Proposals

Children’s Wellbeing Bill

• Objective: To raise educational standards and promote children’s wellbeing.
• Key Measures:
• Free Breakfast Clubs: Introduces free breakfast clubs in every primary school to improve child nutrition and readiness for learning.
• Wellbeing Programs: Implements initiatives aimed at enhancing the mental and physical wellbeing of students.

Skills England Bill

• Objective: To establish Skills England and form new partnerships with employers to improve skills and employment support.
• Key Measures:
• National Skills Strategy: Develops a comprehensive national strategy for skills development in partnership with employers.
• Apprenticeship Reform: Reforms the apprenticeship levy to make it more flexible and accessible for both employers and apprentices.
• Skills Partnerships: Creates local skills partnerships to address specific regional needs and improve employment outcomes.

Employment Rights Bill

• Objective: To enhance employment rights and ensure fair treatment of workers.
• Key Measures:
• Flexible Working: Makes flexible working the default from day one for all workers, supporting work-life balance and productivity.
• Fair Pay Agreements: Establishes fair pay agreements in sectors with low wages and poor working conditions.

Digital Information and Smart Data Bill

• Objective: To harness the power of data for economic growth and improve public services while ensuring data protection.
• Key Measures:
• Smart Data Schemes: Facilitates secure data sharing upon customer request with authorised third-party providers, enhancing the ability to gather and utilise intelligence effectively.
• Data Standards for Skills: Develops and implements standards for data related to skills and training to ensure consistency and improve decision-making.

Strategic Goals

The legislative measures related to skills and training aim to:

• Enhance Workforce Capabilities: Improve the skills and training of the workforce to meet the demands of a modern economy.
• Promote Educational Excellence: Raise educational standards and support the wellbeing of students to prepare them for future success.
• Foster Employer Partnerships: Create strong partnerships between education providers and employers to ensure training programs meet industry needs.
• Support Flexible Working: Promote flexible working arrangements to improve work-life balance and productivity.
• Utilise Data for Skills Development: Harness the power of data to improve decision-making and outcomes in skills and training initiatives.

The table below summarises the key legislative proposals and measures related to skills and training as outlined in the King’s Speech 2024.

Bill	Objective	Key Measures
Children’s Wellbeing Bill	Raise educational standards and promote children’s wellbeing	Free Breakfast Clubs, Wellbeing Programs
Skills England Bill	Establish Skills England and form new partnerships with employers to improve skills and employment support	National Skills Strategy, Apprenticeship Reform, Skills Partnerships
Employment Rights Bill	Enhance employment rights and ensure fair treatment of workers	Flexible Working, Fair Pay Agreements
Digital Information and Smart Data Bill	Harness the power of data for economic growth and improve public services while ensuring data protection	Smart Data Schemes, Data Standards for Skills

Conclusion

The King’s Speech 2024 outlines significant legislative initiatives aimed at enhancing skills and training across the UK. The proposed bills reflect the government’s commitment to improving educational standards, fostering partnerships with employers, and supporting flexible working to build a capable and resilient workforce for the future.

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Disclaimer:

Please note that parts of this post were assisted by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool. The AI has been used to generate certain content and provide information synthesis. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the AI's contributions are based on its training data and algorithms and should be considered as supplementary information.