Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
{{Short description|British minister of state}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = {{small|United Kingdom}}
Minister of State for Skills
| body =
| flag =
| flagsize =
| flagcaption =
| insignia = Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
| insigniacaption = Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
| department = Department for Education
| image = Jacqui Smith official portrait.jpg
| alt =
| incumbent = Jacqui Smith
| incumbentsince = 6 July 2024
| style = Minister
| residence =
| nominator = Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
| appointer = The Monarch
| appointer_qualified = on advice of the Prime Minister
| termlength =
| first = Margaret Hodge MP
| formation = 2001 (Second Blair ministry)
| deputy =
| salary =
| website = https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--175
}}
The minister of state for Skills,{{Cite web |title=Minister of State (Minister for Skills) - GOV.UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--175 |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.gov.uk |language=en}} formerly Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education and previously Minister of State for Universities, is a mid-level position in the Department for Education in the British government. The position has been filled by Jacqui Smith since July 2024.{{Cite web |title=The Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith - GOV.UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/jacqui-smith |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.gov.uk |language=en}} The minister has oversight over skills and higher and further education, including universities and the Student Loans Company.
Under New Labour, the role was known as Minister of State for Higher Education and Minister of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
Under the Cameron–Clegg coalition and May ministries, the role became known as Minister of State for Universities, Science and Cities and Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation. The role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Research and Innovation was created out of this office.
Following the 2021 British cabinet reshuffle under the second Johnson ministry, the role was known as Minister of State for Higher and Further Education and the officeholder, Michelle Donelan, was given the right to attend Cabinet. Under Donelan's successor, Andrea Jenkyns, the position was demoted to a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State role and known as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education.
Under the Sunak ministeries, the role was promoted back to the level of Minister of State.{{Cite web |title=Minister of State (Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education) - GOV.UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state-minister-for-skills-apprenticeships-and-higher-education |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=www.gov.uk |language=en}}
At certain times, the minister worked in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The short form Skills Minister is sometimes used.{{cite news |title=Two ministers make visit to Keighley |url=https://www.rombaldsradio.com/news/keighley-news/two-ministers-make-visit-to-keighley/ |access-date=26 October 2023 |work=Rombalds Radio |date=13 October 2023 |language=en |quote=Skills Minister Robert Halfon}}
History
The position had increased prominence in 2020 and 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic affected further education and university education.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=3 February 2021|title=Ministers urged to put pressure on universities over refunds for students|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2021/02/03/ministers-urged-to-put-pressure-on-universities-over-refunds-for-students/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-02-06|website=Shropshire Star|language=en}} The minister attended cabinet briefly after the 2021 British cabinet reshuffle.{{Cite news|date=2021-09-16|title=Cabinet reshuffle 2021: Who is in Boris Johnson's new cabinet?|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-58574180|access-date=2021-09-16}}
Responsibilities
The minister has the following responsibilities:{{Cite web |title=Minister of State (Minister for Skills) - GOV.UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--175 |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=www.gov.uk |language=en}}
- 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
List of ministers of state for higher and further education
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Name !Portrait ! width="130" |Took office ! width="130" |Left office !Political party ! colspan="2" |Prime Minister |
| colspan="8" |Role created out of the Department for Education and Skills |
|---|
| colspan="8" |Minister of State for Universities |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Barking |File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Dame Margaret Hodge MP crop 2.jpg |11 June 2001 |13 June 2003 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | (ll) |
| colspan="8" |Minister of State for Higher Education |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle |13 June 2003 |8 September 2004 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | (ll) |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Pontypridd |10 September 2004 |11 May 2005 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | (ll) |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Harlow |11 May 2005 |5 October 2008 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | (lll) (l) |
| colspan="8" |Minister of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
the MP for Tottenham |File:Official portrait of Rt Hon David Lammy MP crop 5.jpg |28 June 2007 |11 May 2010 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | (l) |
| colspan="8" |Minister of State for Universities, Science and Cities |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Havant |File:Official_portrait_of_Lord_Willetts_crop_2.jpg |11 May 2010 |14 July 2014 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Royal Tunbridge Wells |File:Official_portrait_of_Rt_Hon_Greg_Clark_MP_crop_2.jpg |15 July 2014 |11 May 2015 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | |
| colspan="8" |Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Orpington |File:Official_portrait_of_Joseph_Johnson_crop_2_(cropped).jpg |11 May 2015 |9 January 2018 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | (II) |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
MP for East Surrey |File:Official_portrait_of_Mr_Sam_Gyimah_crop_2.jpg |9 January 2018 |30 November 2018 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | {{small|(II)}} |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|Chris Skidmore{{Cite journal|last1=Gaind|first1=Nisha|last2=Vesper|first2=Inga|date=2018-12-05|title=Government loyalist appointed new UK science minister as Brexit woes continue|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07655-9|journal=Nature|language=en|doi=10.1038/d41586-018-07655-9|s2cid=158206538 }} MP for Kingswood |File:Official_portrait_of_Chris_Skidmore_crop_2.jpg |5 December 2018 |24 July 2019 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | {{small|(II)}} |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Orpington |File:Official_portrait_of_Joseph_Johnson_crop_2_(cropped).jpg |24 July 2019 |5 September 2019 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | (l) |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Kingswood |File:Official_portrait_of_Chris_Skidmore_crop_2.jpg |10 September 2019 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | |
| colspan="8" |Minister of State for Universities Feb 2020 to Sept 2021 Minister of State for Higher and Further Education Sept 2021 to July 2022 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Chippenham |File:Official_portrait_of_Michelle_Donelan_MP_crop_2.jpg |5 July 2022 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | (ll) |
| colspan="8" | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education July 2022 to Sept 2022 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills Sept to Oct 2022 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Morley and Outwood |File:Official_portrait_of_Mrs_Andrea_Jenkyns_MP_crop_2.jpg |9 July 2022 |26 October 2022 ! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | (ll) |
| colspan="8" |Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Harlow |File:Official portrait of Robert Halfon crop 2.jpg |26 October 2022 |26 March 2024 ! rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | | rowspan=2 | Rishi Sunak (I) |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
MP for Thornbury and Yate |File:Official portrait of Luke Hall MP crop 2.jpg |26 March 2024 |5 July 2024 |
| colspan="8" |Minister of State for Skills |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|6 July 2024 |Incumbent ! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | | Keir Starmer (I) |
References
{{Reflist}}
See also
{{Cabinet positions in the United Kingdom}}
Category:Department for Education
Category:Higher education in the United Kingdom
Category:Education ministers of the United Kingdom
Category:Universities in the United Kingdom
Category:British government officials