Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that apprenticeships, adult further education, skills, training, careers policy and the new Skills England agency have moved from the Department for Education (DfE) to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with immediate effect. Responsibility for higher education and for further education, skills, training and careers for those aged 19 and under remains with the DfE. Baroness Smith of Malvern will act as Minister for Skills across both departments. Skills England, created in June 2025 to analyse the country’s skills needs and simplify access to training and work with employers on solutions, will now sit within the DWP. Sector experts have long called for closer alignment between skills and employment policy but some have warned the transfer risks disruption if not managed carefully. Newly appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the change will “accelerate our drive to get Britain working” by equipping people with the skills needed for a modern labour market, supporting them off benefits and into jobs. He said the department is also rolling out a major overhaul of jobcentres alongside a £240 million investment to boost employment. The move comes shortly before the Government’s post-16 skills white paper and amid questions from MPs about how responsibilities will be coordinated between the two departments.