At party conferences this year, essential skills were firmly on the agenda. Events, panels and roundtables hummed with discussion about how to unleash the potential of the workforce and support all young people, regardless of background, to thrive. 

While AI was the headline topic in so many discussions, each of them came back to essential skills. From tech companies like Google through to the third sector and policy-makers, everyone identified the growing need for highly transferable skills.

At Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, we heard new Minister for Schools Standards, Georgia Gould and Education Committee Chair Helen Hayes MP speaking about the importance of essential skills in education. At the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, we held productive discussions with shadow ministers on the critical role of essential skills in driving AI innovation, economic growth, and effective youth work. At both conferences there was widespread support from across the education and youth sector to businesses for meaningful opportunities for individuals to develop these essential skills.

Essential skills critical to delivering social mobility and growth

At Labour Party Conference we hosted two events that brought together ministers, educators, charities and employers to discuss how we can collectively boost the nation's essential skills.

We were joined by the new Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould MP who shared her clear commitment to social mobility and backing for essential skills, at our joint drinks reception with AQA and EPI . We raised the need for age-related expectations for essential skills to drive high standards for all young people in our remarks, sharing stories of impact from across the partnership. 

We also held an energising breakfast roundtable with our partners Heathrow, where Minister Seema Malhotra discussed the importance of local partnerships in building essential skills and the potential to scale successful local models nationally.

In Liverpool, we visited our partners Kyndryl’s AI innovation lab in the iconic Liver Building which is set to create 1,000 jobs in the area. We discussed the importance of essential skills to building a skilled, talent pipeline for the tech industry with Liverpool City Council's Cllr Liam Robinson, sharing how our partnership with Kyndryl has boosted the quality of their outreach.

Our message to policymakers is clear: essential skills aren't a nice-to-have; they are fundamental drivers of life and work outcomes. The Universal Framework provides the proven, structured model for building and measuring these skills across education, employment, and youth support. Tackling complex challenges—from high NEET rates to the AI transition—demands a cohesive, national strategy for essential skills development. We are committed to working with government and across all parties to deliver this mission and ensure every individual has the opportunity to succeed.