Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Business

UK government unveils £275m boost to skills and apprenticeships to revive industrial heartlands

by June 23, 2025
June 23, 2025
UK government unveils £275m boost to skills and apprenticeships to revive industrial heartlands

The UK government has launched a £275 million investment in technical training and apprenticeships as the centrepiece of its long-awaited industrial strategy, aiming to tackle deep-rooted skills shortages and reclaim the manufacturing vote in Labour’s traditional heartlands.

The funding package, unveiled by business secretary Jonathan Reynolds on Sunday, will support the creation of technical excellence colleges, deliver short courses in artificial intelligence and digital manufacturing, and finance capital upgrades to training centres across England. The initiative is pitched as a strategic counter to Reform UK’s surge in post-industrial constituencies, where Nigel Farage has promised to restore Britain’s industrial might and tighten immigration.

“Our modern industrial strategy will be powered by investing in British people,” said Reynolds.

“It will help transform our skills system to end the over-reliance on foreign labour, and ensure British workers can secure good, well-paid jobs in the industries of tomorrow and drive growth and investment right across the country.”

Although the announcement is not a full industrial funding package, ministers are presenting it as a foundational element of a broader 10-year economic plan, due to be detailed in full later this week.

Officials said the investment would target persistent skills gaps in engineering, defence, battery production, and advanced manufacturing, helping Britain build a pipeline of homegrown talent to support growth sectors.

The £275m pledge includes around £200 million earmarked for infrastructure and course delivery, while the remainder will support curriculum development, recruitment, and employer partnerships. The strategy responds to alarming figures showing one in seven young people are not in education or employment, and a 19% decline in apprenticeship starts since 2016.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson described the move as a necessary “economic and social reset”.

“Skills rightly run right through the heart of this industrial strategy because they are key to breaking the link between background and success for young people,” she said.

The plan builds on previous pledges, including a £187 million AI skills package announced during London Tech Week, and a £3 billion apprenticeship fund to deliver 120,000 placements across healthcare, carpentry, and construction.

The timing of the announcement is politically significant. With Reform UK polling strongly in red wall constituencies, Labour is under pressure to shore up support in regions disproportionately affected by automation, outsourcing, and underinvestment.

Ministers hope the skills package will send a signal that Labour is serious about reviving domestic industry and providing pathways to high-quality jobs, especially in manufacturing strongholds across the Midlands and the North.

However, some in the business and education sectors say the scale of new funding is relatively modest, especially when spread over four years. Labour may face calls to go further on reforming the apprenticeship levy, addressing the immigration skills charge, and lowering energy costs for energy-intensive industries.

The government is also expected to unveil a new trade strategy later this week, with a focus on exports, supply chains, and making the UK “the best-connected place in the world to do business”.

Industry groups have welcomed the direction of travel. Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said: “Competitive energy prices, fast-tracked planning decisions and backing innovation will provide a bedrock for growth.”

Stephen Phipson, head of manufacturers’ group Make UK, called the announcement a “giant and much-needed step forward”.

“The strategy sets out plans to address all three of the sector’s key frustrations — the skills crisis, crippling energy costs, and difficulty accessing capital,” he said. “Clearly there is much to do as we move towards implementation, but this will send a message across the country and around the world that Britain is back in business.”

As the industrial strategy unfolds, attention will turn to whether Labour can translate its vision into measurable change — and whether this initial investment is enough to shift momentum in regions still waiting for a long-promised industrial renaissance.

Read more:
UK government unveils £275m boost to skills and apprenticeships to revive industrial heartlands

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Internet users urged to change passwords after 16bn login credentials found online
next post
SCOOP: House Republicans target ‘vulnerable’ Democrats for voting against tax cuts in ‘big, beautiful bill’

You may also like

Business Is Personal: Why hospitality still wins in...

May 2, 2025

Unleash Your Influence: Effective Tactics to Expand Your...

April 24, 2024

Debunking Myths and Discovering the Benefits of UK...

June 27, 2023

How to engage with your CSR goals this...

February 5, 2024

UK economy shrinks again in May, fuelling fears...

July 11, 2025

Leon Chang: The Recruiter Bridging Tech, Talent, and...

February 19, 2025

AI drives up Microsoft revenues to record $62BN

January 31, 2024

Best Crypto Casinos 2024: List of Top Crypto...

August 9, 2024

Gail’s chairman warns labour’s workers’ rights plans may...

November 29, 2024

Post-Brexit controls on food and farm imports from...

January 31, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Four Cymru partners with Wales Tech Week to showcase Welsh innovation on the global stage

      August 4, 2025
    • Rachel Reeves urged to apply VAT to private healthcare in bid to fund NHS

      August 4, 2025
    • Trump accuses Senate Democrats of using nominee confirmations as leverage for funding deals

      August 4, 2025
    • UK high street banks lose £100bn in savings as customers chase better rates online

      August 4, 2025
    • Green energy tariffs fall to five-year low as UK households prioritise cost

      August 4, 2025
    • UK business leaders call on Labour to introduce skills tax relief for training Neets

      August 4, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,658)
    • Investing (2,168)
    • Politics (16,293)
    • Stocks (3,228)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved