The St Martin’s Group (SMG) welcomes the ambition of the Government’s new Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, which sets out a vision for a more coherent and responsive skills system, focused on creating closer alignment between skills development…
This year’s Labour Party Conference placed skills firmly on the national agenda, with the Prime Minister setting out a new target designed to widen access to training and create more opportunities for people across the country. One of the Prime Minister’s key…
The Education Select Committee has published its Further Education (FE) and Skills report, following an inquiry into how post-16 education can be better supported. After providing evidence during this inquiry, the St Martin’s Group is proud to be included…
The St Martin’s Group reflects on the last year of Government skills policy. In July 2024, the outcome of the General Election marked a pivotal moment for strategy and reform in England’s skills landscape. Labour’s victory ushered in a mandate to implement its…
The St Martin’s Group has today (4th June 2025) published a new report calling for inclusive, employer-led skills reform. The report, Skills for All: Ten Key Insights from Employers, reveals that when addressing a skills gap, more than half of employers surveyed…
On Wednesday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, laid out her Spring Statement to the House of Commons. This followed the Autumn Budget in October 2024, which saw the Chancellor raise £40 billion in taxes, a significant chunk of which…
Economic growth is the UK government’s top priority, recognised as fundamental to improving living standards, boosting prosperity and securing long-term national success. A thriving economy leads to better job opportunities, higher wages and increased investment…
The most consequential development for the skills, apprenticeships and further education sectors in 2024 was, of course, the General Election in July. The Labour Party’s landslide victory gave the Government a mandate to take forward reforms promised in its manifesto…
The first Labour Government budget in 14 years has finally been delivered by Rachel Reeves, the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer. This historic moment had been trailed in the press for weeks, with announcements around tax increases and public spending…
The first Party Conferences after this year’s general election were an opportunity for both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party to publicly reset. Education policy, and particularly skills and apprenticeships, remained high on the political agenda, signalling…
The St Martin’s Group has published a new report highlighting the need to protect and expand apprenticeship opportunities in the UK. The report, titled “Overcoming barriers to opportunity; Stimulating Growth and Unlocking Supply in UK Apprenticeships,” underscores…
As the 2023-24 academic year draws to a close, The St Martin’s Group reflects on the changing landscape of skills and apprenticeship policy.
This has been another year of significant political change after Rishi…