As education policy is a devolved matter, the four countries of the UK have taken divergent approaches to educating and training their current and future workforces. There is much to learn from each of these different approaches, as Edge set out in our 2018 report, FE and skills across the four countries of the UK New opportunities for policy learning. Since this report was published, there have been exciting policy developments in this space in each of the four nations. However, this has also led to some confusion on how the skills systems differ, with many in business and policy worlds struggling to navigate these changes.
This guide is designed to provide an update on the FE and skills landscape since the publication of our 2018 report. It details how the policy context has shifted across the four nations, which key agencies are involved in education and skills, how apprenticeships and technical qualifications differ, and if there are any plans to move to a tertiary sector.
