On 22 March 2005, the Department for Education and Skills published the White Paper 'Skills: Getting on in business, getting on at work'. The White Paper proposals and reforms are designed to:

• Put employers’ needs centre stage in the design and delivery of training

Employers’ needs will be met through the delivery of a new National Employer Training Programme (NETP). There will be a package of free training in the workplace in basic skills and Level 2, designed for employers and delivered to suit their operational needs. NETP will be linked to the full range of business support services including a national network of brokers.

Skills for Sectors is a key component of the aim of meeting employers' needs. Sector Skills Agreements will bring together employers and training provision to meet the future skill needs of the nation – the first 4 Agreements were launched on alongside the White Paper. Skills Academies will be the employer-led linchpin of a new network of specialist colleges and training providers. They will prepare young people and adults for successful employment in each major sector of the economy.

• Support individuals in gaining the skills and qualifications they need to achieve the quality of life they want

Skills for adult learners will be promoted by a clear, attractive ladder of progression which challenges and encourages people to achieve at every level. It will stimulate people’s aspirations to progress and fulfil their potential. From 2006/7 there will be a national entitlement to free tuition for a first full Level 2 qualification and new extensive support for learning at Level 3. Adults will be helped to make decisions about their careers and training needs by a new one-stop telephone and on-line advice service. There is also an intention to reform the supply of skills through building the capacity of colleges and other training providers to deliver benefits for employers and individuals. The QCA's proposed Framework for Achievement – a clear, simple qualification structure for individuals and employers – will be developed so that it supports the 14-19 and adult reforms.

Details of the White Paper are available from DfES website or by following the links below:

Part 1 ;

"Part 1 of the White Paper sets out the overview of the Government’s plans for the next major
step in making this country a world leader in skills. It draws together the major strands of reform
in meeting the needs of employers and learners, to show how the components of the Skills
Strategy fit together."

Part 2 ;

"Part 2 of the White Paper provides a more detailed and technical explanation of each major
component of the Strategy, and how it will be implemented. Its chapters follow the same
structure and sequence as the Part 1 Overview. They set out the progress made since the
publication of the original Skills Strategy in July 2003, the rationale for the next stage of reform,
and how it will be taken forward." Part 2 contains the following chapters:

• Chapter 1: Meeting the skills needs of employers, including the implementation of the National Employer Training Programme.
• Chapter 2: Skills for Sectors, including Skills Academies and Sector Skills Agreements.
• Chapter 3: Skills for adult learners, setting out the major steps in the progression ladder from basic skills to higher education.
• Chapter 4: Opportunities for adult learners, and how the reforms will help individuals to help themselves.
• Chapter 5: Reforms in the supply of training.
• Chapter 6: Partnerships for delivery, including a stronger role for Regional Skills Partnerships.
• Chapter 7: Action plan for delivering the reforms.

Part 3  

Part 3 of the White Paper is "a technical paper sets out the most recent evidence and historical trends on how we are better meeting our skill needs. It provides a background and context for understanding the skills issues and policies set out in Parts 1 and 2 of the Skills White Paper. It focuses on trends on:

• labour supply including those related to gender, age and ethnic group;
• adult participation in learning including differences in gender, age and ethnicity;
• the value of qualifications including differences in the rate of return to different qualifications;
• Level 2 qualifications including differences by age, ethnicity, region and sector of employment;
• Level 3 qualifications including differences by age, ethnicity, region and sector of employment; and
• Higher Education including differences by gender, ethnicity and socio-economic group.

An accompanying report, Skills in England, Volume 1, setting out the latest assessment of the balance between skills supply and demand has been published in parallel with the Skills White Paper" (page 1).

The 'Skills in England 2004 vol 1: Key Messages' report, published by LSC (2005), is based upon forecasts carried out by the Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick, and Cambridge Econometrics. The forecasts and analysis also underpin much of the work on LMI Future Trends within this site.