Click here to read the transcript of a speech given by John Blake at an event organised by the Social Mobility Foundation

Do note the first page is blank scroll down to the second page.

Proposals for a map of skills provision to determine shortages across England have progressed, with plans for the first phase of work beginning in November.

The Department for Education last year revealed ambitions for a ‘skills taxonomy’. This would act as an algorithm to identify and map skills shortages for jobs and occupations, and develop future college courses.

Education chiefs predicted the taxonomy could play a role in developing local skills improvement plans (LSIPs). These documents would outline priority post-16 skills needed in regions or counties developed by business-led boards. To read the article click here

To access the response click here

Analysis shows a steady growth in the awarding of higher degree classifications, especially first class degrees, at universities and colleges. This effect was established before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has led to concerns that degrees have lost their value over time. This Insight brief looks at the evidence for this, and at what universities and the Office for Students are doing and plan to do to address the implications for future cohorts of students. The brief does not constitute regulatory advice, but summarises the issue and the actions related to it. To read the posting click here