Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what engagement her Department has had with Skills Development Scotland and how they are helping to address skills shortages in Scotland.

As education and skills policy is devolved, the Scottish Government is responsible for associated policy in Scotland.

Skills England is responsible for assessing skills needs across the economy in England and helping to align education and training provision with labour market demand. They maintain a strong relationship with the Scottish Government, sharing labour market intelligence and expertise to support a coherent UK-wide skills landscape while respecting devolved responsibilities for skills policy.

Areas of current discussion include skills intelligence and labour market evidence; workforce trends, priority sectors, and emerging occupations; productivity and growth challenges; and education and training reforms.