Upskilling scheme 'will be grasped with both hands'

The government has announced the formation of Skills England

A council leader says a town will be grasping "with both hands" the opportunity to upskill residents.

Last week, the government announced the formation of Skills England, which aims to work with advisers to plug "skills gaps" in key sectors.

Skills Swindon will bring together the council, education sector and businesses to help residents build expertise in new areas, Swindon Borough Council said.

Council leader Jim Robbins said the local authority would be doing "everything it can" to get the most out of the programme.

"That means getting to work with local partners now so our community can harness this programme to its full potential," Mr Robbins added.

He explained the local side of the programme would bring together organisations already operating in the town to make sure residents can get the most from what is available, as well as the government plans.

Jim Robbins said the council would be doing "everything it can" to get the most out of the programme

When the national programme was announced, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the current skills system was "in a mess".

He said new skills would help "to kickstart economic growth, by opening up new opportunities for young people and enabling British businesses to recruit more home-grown talent".

“Our success as a country depends on delivering highly skilled workforces for the long-term," he added.