What is the Accelerator programme?
The Accelerator is a year-long strategic partnership designed to embed a consistent approach to essential skills from Level 1 foundation courses to T-Levels and A-Levels.
By the end of the first year, you will have:
- Strategic leadership - a trained ‘Skills Leader’ equipped to drive and sustain institution-wide change.
- A consistent standard - a shared language for essential skills that bridges the gap between the classroom and the workplace.
- Measurable progress - robust data to support Ofsted inspections, Gatsby Benchmarks and destination outcomes.
- National recognition - a Skills Builder Award, showcasing your institution’s commitment to student outcomes to parents and employers.
How the Accelerator programme works
As part of a selected cohort of UK Further Education settings, you will work alongside a dedicated Skills Builder Education Associate to translate national guidance into a manageable, institution wide strategy.
This partnership provides 1:1 expert support from a qualified teacher, alongside full access to our evidence-based curriculum and assessment model. By combining specialist staff training with peer learning opportunities, we ensure your team can confidently track every student’s progress against a proven national standard - without adding to teacher workload.
What could you do on an Accelerator programme?
The programme is designed to be flexible, allowing you to align the Universal Framework with your specific 2026-27 goals.
You might use the programme to:
- Integrate skills into study programmes - thread the eight essential skills through vocational and academic pathways to ensure learners can articulate their technical expertise to employers.
- Enhance industry placements and T-Levels - use the Framework to help students set specific skill-based goals for work experience, making the impact of placements measurable and visible.
- Embed Oracy and Communication - provide a consistent, measurable approach to Listening and Speaking across all departments.
- Measure Non-Qualification Activity - transform holistic activity into a structured roadmap, where learners can evidence their personal development to employers.
Learners on an Accelerator Programme make twice the progress building their essential skills.
* Apply in the Spring term and be invited to get started early in Summer.
What is the Skills Builder Award?
- The goal is to equip your learners with the essential skills they need to succeed in education, wider life and future employment.
- The Skills Builder Award recognises Further Education settings who are delivering high-quality essential skills education at a Bronze, Silver and Gold standard.
- You will achieve an Award by embedding the principles of best practice outlined in the Award Guide.
- You will work closely with your Education Associate via three Planning Meetings to develop and implement a manageable, long-term strategy.
- Awards are dated for three years and reviewed annually by our team.
What Skills Leaders say about the Accelerator
What Skills Leaders say about the Accelerator:
What Skills Leaders say about the Accelerator
What Skills Leaders say about the Accelerator
How did the Accelerator fit into your strategy?
“The programme can really tap into some of those talents, aptitudes and skills that we may not see in the delivery of the regular curriculum.”
What’s been the impact for you?
“I found the CPD opportunities really helpful - particularly around leading change, changing the culture of the school and supporting colleagues.”
How have the training and support been?
“We don’t often have opportunities to work throughout the whole education sector…The Skills Builder network opens up a whole range of different organisations.”
“One of the great things is that you get to share good practice with other schools which is invaluable.”
What’s been the impact in the classroom?
“I think the programme has had a really positive impact on the teachers here. It wasn’t until we started the programme that we realised it was what we’ve always been looking for.”
How have you found the tools and resources?
“Everything that you need is there and there are a lot of resources on offer… all of the resources are high quality. Everything you need to successfully implement the programme in your school is there for you.”
What would you say to people thinking of applying?
“Whatever your starting point, whatever your history is with skills education… I would really urge you to look into the programme.”
“The help, support and guidance you get is invaluable. You are not alone. The support and everything is in place.”
“Go for it! It’s not an add on and it’s not extra work. It has massive benefits for both students and staff. For us, it fits like a glove.”
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Get the prospectus, tips on applying and latest updates on funded places in your area - click here
Still have questions? Email us at accelerator@skillsbuilder.org and we will be in touch
The Skills Builder Partnership
The Skills Builder Partnership brings together 800+ education institutions, employers and leading organisations around a common approach to building eight essential skills. Central to our approach is a rigorous progression framework, a set of underlying principles and a complete suite of tools and teaching materials.
The Skills Builder Framework
The Skills Builder Universal Framework is the national standard for teaching essential skills. It breaks each skill into teachable steps, supporting progress for children of all ages and abilities - including those with special educational needs. The Universal Framework was developed with Skills Builder by the Careers and Enterprise Company, Gatsby Foundation, Business in the Community, EY Foundation, the CBI and CIPD.
The Skills Builder Principles
Refined over a decade, the Skills Builder Principles outline best practice in teaching essential skills for learning and life. The six principles will form the basis of your strategy, and your success in embedding them will be recognised with the Skills Builder Award.
