Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Career developmentLatest NewsContinuous professional developmentLearning & developmentQualifications

More than one million low paid workers don’t qualify for Lifetime Skills Guarantee

by Ashleigh Webber 16 Nov 2020
by Ashleigh Webber 16 Nov 2020 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

More than a million low paid employees who would benefit from further training could be locked out of the government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee because they hold at least one A-level or equivalent qualification.

According to analysis by the Work Foundation and Totaljobs, 1.4 million low paid mid-career workers, defined as workers between the ages of 25 and 49, would not be able to take advantage of the scheme because it is only open to people without a level 3 qualification.

Learning and retraining

Government announces £2.5bn lifelong learning package

‘Employer hubs’ at colleges could help meet skills needs

‘Give regions more say over skills and employment’

The Lifetime Skills Guarantee, which was announced by Boris Johnson in September, will offer a free college course to help “give people the skills to find and create new and better jobs” when it launches in April 2021.

But the Work Foundation think-tank and jobs board Totaljobs said many of the workers who would benefit the most from further training did not qualify, while numerous other barriers to further education exist, including lack of confidence, financial challenges, family commitments, difficulties navigating the training system and requirements for welfare support.

Jon Wilson, CEO of Totaljobs, said: “Changes need to be made to realise the ambition of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee. By doing so, we can take the nexus of a promising scheme and turn it into a policy that truly puts skills development at the heart of the UK economy.

“Removing restrictions for individuals receiving welfare benefits and expanding the scheme’s reach by making it available to more people are some initial steps that can be taken. We believe that by addressing the barriers we’ve uncovered, the Lifetime Skills Guarantee can be successful in aiding business success and transforming the livelihoods of millions of people.”

Work Foundation director Ben Harrison said: “The Lifetime Skills Guarantee offers a real opportunity to boost life-long learning. But as things stand there is a real risk that millions of those who would most benefit from additional training won’t access it – either because they are not eligible, or because the Covid-19 pandemic is exacerbating financial and family pressures.

“It is vital that we have a clear focus on maximising participation from those in low paid roles and those looking to re-enter the labour market but who lack the skills to do so. That means reviewing the eligibility criteria for the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, alongside offering support to help people with the indirect costs of engaging in training such as childcare.”

The bodies recommend that the government:

  • Reviews the eligibility criteria for schemes under the Lifetime Skills Guarantee to increase participation among workers in low-paid positions, by recognising that some may hold a level 3 qualification but would benefit from further training
  • Offers support with indirect costs of training, such as childcare
  • Removes restrictions on training hours for those receiving welfare benefits such as Universal Credit, Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance
  • Creates flexible training pathways, such as modular options
  • Advises and incentivises employers to encourage staff to undertake training.

Last month the Independent Commission on the College of the Future – a group of experts looking at the role colleges can play in addressing skills needs – recommended the establishment of ’employer hubs’ at local colleges to help tackle skills gaps. It also recommended that every person be given a statutory right to lifelong learning.

L&D job opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more L&D jobs

 

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor of OHW+ and HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines, touching on some of the employment and wellbeing issues experienced by those in road haulage.

previous post
Notice periods no longer covered by furlough
next post
Boardrooms now more meritocratic and diverse, study suggests

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Give staff the training they want, urges report

15 Dec 2023

Supermarkets, farming and hospitality urge apprenticeship levy reform

14 Dec 2023

How to avoid creating ‘accidental managers’

11 Dec 2023

One in six financial services employees needs reskilling

29 Nov 2023

Does the four-day week align with flexibility and...

28 Nov 2023

AstraZeneca picks up Learning & Development Award –...

21 Nov 2023

St James’s Place pockets Learning & Development Award...

21 Nov 2023

Civil Service HR Casework lifts 2023 Talent Management...

21 Nov 2023

Resilience Development Co. holds out for L&D Supplier...

21 Nov 2023

Internal mobility: how to unlock your employees’ potential

17 Nov 2023

  • Internal mobility: how to unlock your employees’ potential PROMOTED | Most employers understand...Read more
  • How to spot and tackle imposter syndrome in the workplace PROMOTED | Half of all UK adults...Read more
  • BetterMe for Business: How to Build Wellness Culture at Work PROMOTED | Ever encountered a...Read more
  • Talent acquisition: How AI can complement a ‘back to basics’ approach PROMOTED | Artificial intelligence is now...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+