| 30 October 2025
Skills for Health, part of The Workforce Development Trust, warmly welcomes the publication of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, which sets out a bold and ambitious vision for transforming the skills system in England.
We are delighted to see that the government has actively listened to employers, and that many of the recommendations directly respond to the issues we have long campaigned for. This marks a significant step forward in aligning education and training with the real needs of businesses and the economy.
In particular, we strongly welcome the recognition of Health and Social Care as one of the priority sectors. This acknowledgement is vital to ensuring that the workforce in these essential services is equipped with the skills and support needed to thrive.
The White Paper’s emphasis on flexible modular provision is another major milestone. The move towards more tailored and joined-up pathways, especially when linked to increased flexibility through the Growth and Skills Levy, will empower learners and employers alike to access and build the skills they need, when they need them.
We also see great promise in the proposed Skills Passport and associated credentialing, which could serve as a powerful engine for driving change across the system. This approach will help learners demonstrate their competencies more clearly, enabling employers to better identify talent.
Skills Bootcamps are another welcome feature, offering targeted, intensive training that can be particularly effective in addressing local and sector-specific skills gaps.
Perhaps most exciting is the introduction of the new “V Levels”, which have the potential to be a game-changer in vocational education. If well-constructed and integrated into a coherent system alongside A Levels and T Levels, V Levels could provide a robust and respected route into skilled employment and further study. Crucially, they also offer a real opportunity to address the long-running challenge of achieving true parity between academic and vocational pathways, ensuring that all learners, regardless of their chosen route, are equally valued and supported.
We look forward to working closely with our employer partners, Skills England, Strategic Authorities, and other stakeholders to help realise the benefits and outcomes that this White Paper aims to achieve.
John Rogers
Chief Executive
The Workforce Development Trust
About The Workforce Development Trust
The Workforce Development Trust is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to championing workplace skills development that improve lives through better skills and better jobs leading to better services. Through its family of specialist brands – Skills for Health, Skills for Justice, SFJ Awards, iCQ Awards, and People 1st International – the Trust supports workforce development and education across both public and private sectors. Together, these brands work to ensure that individuals and organisations have access to the skills, training, and qualifications they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving labour market.
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