Our response to The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill
Here at KnowledgePoint we‘re in the business of learning and skills development, and there are few things more rewarding than seeing the importance of continuous learning being recognised.
The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill – recently announced in the Queen’s Speech on 11 May – highlights just how important a culture of lifelong learning is, and encourages a more accepting mentality around retraining and reskilling.
With the long-term effects of the pandemic very much front of mind, it’s important (and even necessary) that the government focuses on rebuilding for the future and doing so with the knowledge around skills and training acquired over this time. We’ve learned through COVID that there are multiple ways to approach a task or challenge, where perhaps the perspective previously was more linear. As a prime example, most, if not all of us have now adapted to working from home, whereas in the past the thought of not working from the office was a mystery to some.
Boris Johnson has said: “I’m revolutionising the system so we can move past the outdated notion that there is only one route up the career ladder and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to retrain or upskill at any point in their lives.”
We believe the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill is a significant step in the right direction to a more skilled workforce, that has a more positive mindset towards continuing development in the workplace.
Ray Brown, our Sales and Marketing Director says, “It’s clear that UK Plc must continue to support the learning sector in the process of reskilling the workforce, in order to come to terms with the new world of work. Resources such as the ones laid out by this bill are critical and we must use them to drive an increase in focus on the importance of skills’ growth and improvement within the workplace.”
This can be aided by the knowledge gained and the strides we have taken in digital technology and its use in the learning sector. Technology previously not found in the education sector, such as VR and AR, has now found its place to offer a more immersive teaching and learning experience. This, in addition to the digitisation of many learning materials, allows us to continue to grow and learn from school-age throughout our careers and beyond. These are just a few great examples of how industries are developing, and how we are adapting with them.