Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps Skills England plans to take with Institutes of Technology to (a) coordinate technical education and (b) ensure that regional skills needs are met.

As part of its work with employers, providers and others across the skills system, Skills England will enable Institutes of Technology (IoTs) to support the delivery of skills local employers need, as aligned to the needs of national priority sectors.

Skills England will work with mayoral strategic authorities and other forms of regional government and local organisations, such as employer representative bodies, to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met. Skills England will oversee the Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) programme, including where LSIPs have identified IoTs’ role in meeting local skills needs.

Skills England will continue to set out evidence and insights into skills gaps in the economy, building on the publication of its first report in September 2024.