UK to spend billions on job training to cut reliance on migrants
UK aiming to ‘refocus skills landscape’ on ‘young, domestic talent’ by creating 120,000 new training opportunities
Britain will spend a record £3 billion (US$4 billion) to boost training opportunities, the government said on Tuesday, part of a broader strategy to train locals to fill gaps in the labour market and reduce reliance on foreign workers.
The investment will “refocus the skills landscape towards young, domestic talent” by creating 120,000 new training opportunities in key sectors such as construction, engineering, health and social care, and digital, a statement from the government’s education department said.
“We’re taking our responsibility seriously providing more routes into employment,” Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said.
The Labour government has been under pressure to cut immigration following the local election success of the right-wing, anti-immigration Reform UK party in May, and has since set out plans to tighten citizenship rules, restrict skilled worker visas to graduate-level jobs, and push firms to train locals.