A skills-based economy is the foundation for so much – from making our country an economic force to be reckoned with on the global stage, to levelling up regions within the country and making sure people are earning high wages that afford them a better quality of life.

Minister for Skills Alex Burghart MP will deliver a speech on the need for a highly skilled nation, setting out his vision to ensure opportunity is spread evenly across the country, with skills that meet the needs of local economies and employers – and how the great work of the further education sector is vital to delivering this.