Skills Builder UK

We’re delighted to see the publication of the new Start Small; Dream Big evaluation from The Careers & Enterprise Company🎉 The report highlights the powerful impact of introducing career-related learning in primary schools, helping pupils broaden their aspirations, challenge stereotypes, and build confidence in their futures. We’re proud to have been part of this pilot, supporting 20 primary schools to embed essential skills at the heart of their approach. At Hayfield Lane Primary in Doncaster, for example, the Skills Builder approach became “a tangible way for children to understand how to become effective communicators – right from Foundation Stage.” It’s inspiring to see how schools across the country are using essential skills to help every child see what’s possible. 📄 Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/eXh4V5mn

We’re delighted that the Universal Framework has been recognised by the Digital Badging Commission as a trusted standard for embedding essential skills within digital credentials. The Commission’s final report, From Skills to Growth: A Plan for Digital Badging in the UK, lays out a clear and practical vision for a national approach that makes skills visible and portable across education and employment. It shows how digital badges could speed up hiring, unlock billions in productivity gains each year, and improve reskilling and retention ,worth a further £290m annually to the UK economy. Dr Michael Englard and Maryam Darby both served as Commissioners, helping shape recommendations that call for: -A national skills wallet linked to digital ID -Digital badges embedded in post-16 education and training -A national registry to ensure quality and consistency Find out more about the Digital Badging Commission’s report and recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/ekewSpDf To find out more about the Universal Framework, visit our page here: https://lnkd.in/evAciC59 The RSA (The royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce) 

Last week in Penrith, we saw what’s possible when educators, employers, and local leaders come together around essential skills. There was a real sense of momentum and enthusiasm for building the skills that prepare young people for the workplace and strengthen Cumbria’s future workforce. Special thanks to Cath Dutton MBE and the team at Enterprising Cumbria for all their support, Mark Cant at MissionCX for driving this forward, and to our fantastic speakers Carol Parkinson, Simon Richardson, Amelia Scoon, Michelle Turner and Wendy Black for sharing success stories from across the region. You can read more about the day in our most recent blog 👉: https://lnkd.in/eWHQuZp7

Minister Seema Malhotra FRSA joined us on Tuesday morning to talk about her work with Hounslows Promise and how we can scale lessons from this nationally. We heard how employers Kyndryl and Heathrow also build essential skills using the Universal Framework, as well as the vital research and sector-building work of National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), Fair Education Alliance and Youth Futures Foundation. Three themes emerges from the the discussion: ⚓ Local approaches can be scaled with a national anchor 🤝 Collaboration between education, impact organisations and employers is key 🚀 Shared language, approaches and frameworks are a core enabler of that collaboration A big thank you to Heathrow for hosting 🛫

On Monday evening we were honoured to be joined by the new Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould MP. Her energy, passion for social mobility and backing of essential skills were impressive. We are excited to continue our work with the government driving high standards for skills education in schools. A big thank you to Education Policy Institute for hosting the event, and AQA for partnering with us to deliver it.

Latest paper from Institute for the Future of Work finds that a number of essential skills including persistence and reflective learning are core to intrinsic motivation. Thanks so much to the brilliant Lynne Peabody and EY Foundation for hosting, and to Oliver N. and Kester Brewin for sharing their work on the report. Also brilliant to hear compelling points from Peter Swallow and Sam Carling MP.

We’re proud to be part of the Advisory Group for Well Schools and to support the new Well Check and Well Schools Accreditation, which launched on Monday. The accreditation recognises schools that put wellbeing at the centre of learning. Within the Live Well pillar, essential skills play a crucial role in equipping every pupil to thrive in a digital world. Youth Sport Trust Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/e_ZyrAZd

On Wednesday, Emma Crighton and Sophie Holmes welcomed employers, educators, and local leaders to Penrith for Essential Skills for Cumbria’s Growth: A Unified Approach, delivered in collaboration with Enterprising Cumbria. The event showcased the growing commitment in Cumbria to embedding essential skills for the future workforce. There was clear enthusiasm for building the skills that prepare young people for the workplace, strengthen local talent pipelines, and unlock opportunities for both businesses and schools. 💬 Markus Campbell-Savours MP for Penrith and Solway, captured it perfectly: “The conversation has helpfully moved from hard, technical skills to these essential skills. Let's create a time where workers not only have the hard skills but are able to interact effectively at a human level.” Thank you to everyone who joined us for such a positive forward-looking day. Discover how essential skills can support your organisation: https://lnkd.in/e-M6kp4W

Young people reporting low levels of essential skills Nearly 1 million young people are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Young people are telling us they want to work and succeed, but they lack the confidence and support to get there. The Youth Voice Census 2025 sheds light on a stark reality: - Despite most young people recognising that teamwork, communication and problem-solving are valued by employers, NEET young people report the lowest confidence in knowing what employers want from them (26% vs 49%). - Less than half of young people (47%) feel confident in their speaking and leadership skills. - While confidence in skills like creativity and resilience is higher, significant disparities exist. Students with additional needs are 12 % less confident across almost every skill. The Skills Builder Universal Framework provides a structured, teachable, and measurable way to build essential skills: communication, collaboration, creative problem-solving and self-management. By breaking down skills into 16 actionable steps, it gives young people and those supporting them a common language and a clear path to progress. It's a method already used by over 900 schools, colleges, and employers. To make this a reality for the young people who are most in need of support, we are calling for essential skills to be prioritised and developed in a structured way through government programmes like the Youth Guarantee trailblazers and national employment support. An excellent report from Youth Employment UK. Read the full Youth Voice Census 2025 report here 👉 https://lnkd.in/emC67x4A

The launch of the Fair Education Alliance Fair Education in 2025: England’s Report Card featured St Luke’s Primary School as a case study, a brilliant example of essential skills in action. The school has embedded the Universal Framework across their curriculum, giving every pupil, including those with SEND, the opportunity to build skills like Teamwork, Problem Solving, and Communication. This approach not only prepares young people for their next stage of education, but also for a world of work that is rapidly changing. It is a amazing case study of how the Framework can help close the essential skills gap, and why mobilising the whole Alliance towards this goal is so important. Watch the case study here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eY9hPftZ