Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, United Kingdom

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, UK Minister for Skills and Minister for Women and Equalities. Minister Smith reflects on the importance of addressing persistent skills gaps in the economy and the priority of tackling youth unemployment, highlighting the opportunities for widening access to education and training opened-up by the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. She reflects on the critical challenges posed by the financial sustainability of the higher education sector and initiatives are being put in place to support the sector, as well as the historical low status associated with vocational routes which the development of technical excellence colleges aim to address. Minister Smith also outlines the main ambitions behind the newly launched International Education Strategy and emphasise the value of EWF as a platform for sharing information and ideas with international colleagues. She concludes by advocating for a lifelong approach to education that builds the structures and finance necessary to enable people to upskill and learn throughout their lives.