• Swindon & Wiltshire Education, training and skills
• Monday June 8 2026

West’s Skills Strategy backed by political big-hitters

A new strategy setting out the West of England’s approach to creating a more joined up employment and skills system has been approved by the metro mayor and council leaders – backed by Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden; Alan Milburn, who is leading the government’s independent review into young people and work; and Peter Hyman, the former headteacher who co-authored Inside the Mind of a Young NEET.

The Skills Strategy is an essential building block in delivering one of the six priorities established in the West of England’s Growth Strategy, published in September.

It sets out a vision for the West of England to be a place where opportunities and talent thrive, empowering residents with the skills to access jobs that will shape the west’s future, while creating another 72,000 new jobs in the country’s fastest-growing regional economy.

Skills and employment are central to improving life chances, supporting social mobility, and lifting children and families out of poverty. Currently too many residents are unable to access these opportunities, particularly young people.

The recent first report publication of the Milburn report highlighted how nearly one million young people in Britain are locked out of work, education, and training. The Mayor welcomed the report’s call for urgent action to be taken to halt the rise in young people being left behind.

The Skills Strategy is centred around three core themes, that reflect where interventions can have the most benefits for supporting residents into opportunity:

Young people – ensuring they have the essential employability skills which will help them to succeed, and working on reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment, or training
Adults – breaking down barriers, supporting people to stay and progress in work, and tackling the challenges holding people back, such as health, transport, and caring responsibilities
Lifelong learning – building employability skills alongside the technical skills that can enable people to progress and adapt to a changing economy and labour market

Helen Godwin, mayor of the West of England, said: “The West of England’s new Skills Strategy sets out an ambitious target for the fastest-growing regional economy to also become the country’s first NEET Zero region.

“Employers increasingly want young people to have not just academic qualifications, but the ability to succeed in work. As a result, we are developing the West Bacc: a new regional work-readiness award that will invest to give young people the confidence, skills, and experience that employers are looking for.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “This government is committed to working hand in hand with local leaders to deliver real change for people across the country.

“Local leaders know their communities best, and the West of England Skills Strategy is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when national and local government work together.

“Our reforms to skills, apprenticeships and employment support, backed by our £2.5 billion support package will ensure that every young person has the skills and confidence they need to succeed.”

Alan Milburn, who is leading the government’s independent review into young people and work, said: “Over 1 million young people not being in education, employment, or training is a generational faultline in our country.

“I welcome the NEET Zero ambition in the West of England’s Skills Strategy and hope other parts of the country will follow suit. By working together Mayors, local authorities, educators and employers can help open up new opportunities for young people to earn and learn.”

Peter Hyman, the former headteacher and strategist who coined the term ‘NEET Zero’ and co-authored Inside the Mind of a Young NEET, said: “To go for NEET zero – no young people who are NEET – is ambitious, important and right. We have listened to young people in the West of England and they are desperate for school to prepare them better for work, to learn the skills they need to succeed at work, and better connections and support for people into the workplace.

“This is an exciting plan for new jobs, new skills and new opportunities.”

Image by Vitaly Gariev at Unsplash