Skills Policy in Britain and the Future of Work: A Historical-Political-Analysis

by Tom Bewick

Overview

What role did Winston Churchill play in excluding comprehensive schooling from the 1944 Education Act? What was the failed promise of technical education in the post-war period? Why did Margaret Thatcher manipulate government training programmes before the 1987 General Election? And what was the fallout of Tony Blair’s government over lifelong learning?

In this book, Tom Bewick examines the evolution of UK skills policy from the 1881 Royal Commission on Technical Instruction to the present day, revealing how shifting political ideologies have shaped workforce development. He applies a chronological, historical-political policy analysis framework to explain the ‘four training states’ of skills policy and workforce development between the 1940s and the 2020s:

• The interventionist state (1939–1979)

• Laissez-faire state (1980–1988)

• Localism and the devolved states (1989–2010)

• The technocratic state (2010–present)

Traversing time periods to uncover political and economic driving forces, this book challenges conventional thinking and offers insights into how future skills policies can be more effective.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781447372219
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Publication date:	11/25/2025
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x (d)

About the Author

Tom Bewick is Visiting Professor of Skills and Workforce Policy at the University of Staffordshire. He is a former policy adviser to UK ministers on post-compulsory education and training.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Skills policy as a field of study

2. Political economy of skill: the incremental state

Part I: The interventionist state (1939– 79)

3. Skills planning in the crisis of war

4. The legacy of 1944: turf battles and technology

5. The golden era of industrial training

Part II: The laissez-faire state (1980– 88)

6. Rolling back the frontiers of the training state?

7. Employer voluntarism: who pays?

Part III: Localism and the devolved states (1989– 2010)

8. The rise and fall of Training and Enterprise Councils

9. New Labour and the learning age

10. Skills policy in the devolved nations

Part IV: The technocratic state (2010–present)

11. Austerity in FE: forgotten education?

Conclusion

12. The future of work

Editorial Reviews

The use of archival material offers fascinating insights into the persistence of some skills policy issues and the ‘imprinting’ of policy development over many decades. This book demonstrates that escaping the past is exceedingly hard!” Ewart Keep, Oxford University(emeritus) and former Director of SKOPE

“Rich in history, unique empirical insight and written with a refreshing accessible style, Bewick provides a defining text on the skills sector and its idiosyncratic British tendencies.” Martin Jones, Vice-Chancellor, University of Staffordshire

“What Bewick has produced will become a benchmark book for anyone interested in skills policy in Britain and beyond.” Chris Warhurst, Institute of Employment Research, Warwick University

“This clear, engaging contribution is an essential resource for anyone involved in skills development – both in Britain and internationally.” Katy Jones, Manchester Metropolitan University

“Bewick’s experience in the public and private sectors, combined with indefatigable archive work, yields insights into how policy makers deal with trade-offs inherent in skills policy. This book will be of interest and relevance to American and international audiences grappling with building efficient and equitable skills systems.” Robert I. Lerman, American University(emeritus) and Chair of Apprenticeships for America

“A provocative and thought-provoking contribution to the scant literature relating to skills policy and further education. It definitely caused me to revisit some of my previously under-informed thinking, particularly relating to the history of further education and skills.” Martin Doel CBE, UCL Institute of Education

From the Publisher