EVENT: The role of education in levelling up the North
As the rate of unemployment starts to rise and more redundancies are expected into the first half of 2021, the question of how we reskill and upskill young people and older adults in the workforce has come to the fore. The pandemic has also raised big questions about the value we place on keyworkers and what we define as essential work in a predominately knowledge-driven economy. The current Further Education system must now be geared up for this challenge, made more agile and responsive than ever if it is to meet the needs of new and evolving sectors as they thrive – or fade – in the wake of Covid-19.Long before the virus struck the adult education and training system was struggling to meet local and national demand for skills. In Higher Education, questions were also mounting as to whether students were getting value for money – both in terms of learning and employment opportunities. But Covid has exacerbated inequalities. The Education Endowment Trust warned in July that the progress made in narrowing the education attainment gap between rich and poor over the last decade was wiped out in just a few months of the first lockdown. The challenge of levelling up has got a whole lot harder; the case for inclusive growth all more imperative.Some key questions will include: What is the role of education when it comes to levelling up in the North of England? What national, regional and local government policy levers are available? Are new accountability and funding mechanisms needed to drive change? What role will the skills system play in driving the green economy and a renewal of advanced manufacturing?PanellistsCharlotte Alldritt, Director, Centre for Progressive Policy (Chair)Zoë Billingham, Head of Policy and Engagement, Centre for Progressive PolicyAndy Burnham, Mayor of Greater ManchesterDavid Goodhart, Head of Demography, Immigration & Integration, Policy ExchangeThe Rt Hon. Lord David Willetts, President of the Advisory Council and Intergenerational Centre, Resolution Foundation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.