Minister of State (Minister for Skills) and Government spokesperson for Equalities
The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern
Biography
The Rt Hon the Baroness Smith of Malvern was appointed as a Government spokesperson for Equalities on 8 October 2024, in addition to her current role as a Minister of State (Minister for Skills) in the Department for Education.
Minister of State (Minister for Skills)
The minister’s responsibilities include:
- Skills England
- technical qualifications, including T Levels
- higher technical education (levels 4 and 5)
- adult education, including basic skills and combined authority devolution
- careers advice and support for young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) (including the Careers and Enterprise Company)
- apprenticeships, including the growth and skills levy
- Technical Excellence Colleges
- local skills improvement plans
- governance, intervention and accountability of further education colleges
- funding for education and training, provision and outcomes for 16- to 19-year-olds
- further education funding, financial stability and workforce
- access to higher education, participation and lifelong learning
- quality of higher education and the student experience (including the Office for Students)
- student finance (including the Student Loans Company)
- international education