When the Prime Minister asked me to take on the role of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions our vision was clear: to build a department of opportunity with skills at its heart.
This means not just supporting people when they’re out of work but giving them the tools they need to benefit from the security of good jobs.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has always had ‘work’ in its title but adding skills to our responsibilities gives us a renewed energy and focus.
It allows us to move beyond providing a safety net and allows us to be a springboard to better futures.
This is critical to building a workforce fit for the future, critical for our economy and critical for our young people who have been written off for too long.
The statistics are stark – one in eight young people are not in education, employment or training, every one of them representing lost opportunity, unused talent and wasted potential.
We cannot afford to give up on this generation. We need to be ambitious which means creating pathways that lead directly from skills development to sustainable employment.
That is why, in my first week in the job, I visited Waltham Forest College, where I witnessed this in action.
The college has a brilliant partnership with the local jobcentre.
Work coaches are on-site with students, creating seamless pathways from learning to earning.
The jobcentre works with employers and the college to deliver tailored training for roles in the local community – including the nurses, builders and rail engineers who power our economy.
On the Rail Engineering programme alone, 97 percent of students progress into employment after completing their training.
This is the innovation I want to see replicated across the country.
Our approach recognises that the challenges of economic inactivity, youth unemployment, and skills gaps are interconnected.
We cannot effectively tackle one without addressing the others.
So, by bringing apprenticeships, adult further education, skills training, careers guidance, and Skills England under DWP’s remit, we’re creating strong pathways to support the millions of people across the country.
When someone walks into a jobcentre, we want to offer them more than just support or help with their job search. We want to assess their skills, identify gaps, and provide clear routes to training that leads to employment.
The timing is crucial as we are already delivering the biggest overhaul of jobcentres in a generation, backed by £240 million investment to boost employment.
This is not just about helping people to find a job, but equipping them with skills for sustainable, well-paid employment in growing sectors.
Skills and work are natural partners. By adding skills to DWP’s job description we are building a department that truly serves opportunity, ambition, and Britain’s future economic success.
Your thoughts