The new international education strategy and Turing Scheme

Responding to the launch of the Department for Education and the Department for International Trade’s new international education strategy and Turing Scheme, Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said:

“We welcome the focus of the new international education strategy, building on the UK’s reputation for world-class education, to develop global partnerships in line with the UK’s export market opportunities. And it is fantastic to see that, through the new Turing Scheme, young people will be supported to take up training opportunities abroad, including through our international competitions-based training, as we have seen time and time again the positive impact such experiences can have for young people’s confidence and future success.

“But there is a missed opportunity for the strategy to go further and explore how we can leverage UK skills excellence, not just to support vital trade opportunities, but also to demonstrate we are developing the quality of skills international investors need. Year after year, EY’s annual Attractiveness Survey has shown that the UK’s ability to provide a pipeline of high quality technical skills is a key determinant in our ability to attract foreign investment to help create jobs in all parts of the UK.

“That’s why we are working on a number of global skills benchmarking partnerships, in line with the priority countries and regions set out in the new strategy, to not only support exports but also bring global skills best practice back to the UK to help meet employers’ needs and support economic competitiveness and recovery.

“We look forward to working further with the Department for Education and the Department for International Trade in our work on international benchmarking so that, by creating a global exchange of knowledge and skills, we can help drive innovation and excellence in the quality and delivery of training that benefit young people in the UK and our international partners.”