If two of the biggest challenges facing humans are climate change and Artificial Intelligence (AI) then these are my initial thoughts and take-aways on what the research with its focus on the rapid pace of change and the rise of AI/Green skills demand means for my world in higher education.
That higher skilled professional occupations with HE requirements are seeing more disruption – no surprise in an advanced economy such as the UK but this has to be considered in a wider context that skills gaps and shortages exist at all levels.
The two big policy changes in apprenticeships and skills are the replacement of the apprenticeship Levy with the Growth and Skills Levy and the establishment of Skills England. Skills England’s primary focus should be productivity and economic growth and as such, it should report to the Treasury and perhaps not the Department for Education. Key sponsor departments should include Energy and Net Zero and Business and Trade.
It is imperative that Skills England is not just a further education body – as the report states “we are in the midst of a UK skills revolution”. Instead, it must be ambitious and encompass the skills the economy and society need at all levels and by individuals of all ages in the working population and I would add take particular notice of those skills and sectors most disrupted.
Finally there is a need for the wisdom of Solomon – Ensuring that apprenticeships and approved training and education programmes are prioritised in accordance with need such as outlined in the report sounds like an appropriate approach. The problem is defining and prioritising need against a programme such as apprenticeships, that has many different objectives and a Levy that is small and finite. So the question becomes who pays to ensure those sectors experiencing robust skill disruption can have the talent needed including in upskilling and reskilling taking account of the concept of skills adjacency and identification of transitional skills? The state, the employer or the individual?
Finally I like the notion or concept of disruptive innovation and the use of Lightcast’s skills disruption index. UVAC has often reflected on the creative disruption that HE providers have had in their relationship with employers particularly in the co-creation of apprenticeship programmes. Disruption can be and is a force for effective change. Whilst I don’t agree that the skills system is universally broken, I do think the report is right to highlight how disruptive innovation should and must be a consideration when adding new skills to existing and new programmes, in the development of new pedagogies and practice and in working to ensure any programme at any level is work-integrated. Why do I say this? Well by integrating ensures that development is both practical and intellectual and can be neither an academic programme in a professional field nor simply training to do a job.
