Reshuffle: Skills brief to move out of DfE

The government is planning to pull the skills brief out of the Department for Education and move it to a new department.

Prime minister Keir Starmer is understood to be moving the skills brief to the Department for Work and Pensions, under a new secretary of state, Pat McFadden.

This brings to an end nearly a decade during which policy for education and skills was managed together under one government department.

A new reported ‘growth department’ will be formed from the current Department for Work and Pensions and will include skills.

Pat McFadden, formerly of the Cabinet Office, moved jobs in today’s cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Angela Rayner.

Skills minister Jacqui Smith will continue in the role across both the DfE and DWP. It is not clear whether responsibility for 16-19 education, universities or apprenticeships will be moved along with adult education.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson remains in post. Liz Kendall, who was work and pensions secretary, has been appointed secretary of state for science, innovation and technology.

Skills is no stranger to being bumped around government departments.

Government policy for employment and skills last sat together between 1995 and 2001 at the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE).

Then the last Labour government split DfEE, creating a Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and a Department for Work and Pensions.

Skills was moved to a Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) in 2007 until 2009 when it went to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

Then prime minister Theresa May moved FE and skills to the DfE in 2016.