Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
The Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education,[1] formerly the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education, previously the Minister of State for Universities, is a mid-level position in the Department for Education in the British government. It has been held by Robert Halfon since October 2022.[2] The minister has oversight over skills and higher and further education, including universities and the Student Loans Company.
| Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education | |
|---|---|
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| Department for Education | |
| Style | Minister |
| Nominator | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
| Appointer | The Monarch on advice of the Prime Minister |
| Formation | 2001 (Second Blair ministry) |
| First holder | Margaret Hodge MP |
| Website | https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state-minister-for-higher-and-further-education |
Under New Labour, the role was known as Minister of State for Higher Education and Minister of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
Under the Cameron–Clegg coalition and May ministries, the role became known as Minister of State for Universities, Science and Cities and Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation. The role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Research and Innovation was created out of this office.
Following the 2021 British cabinet reshuffle under the second Johnson ministry, the role was known as Minister of State for Higher and Further Education and the officeholder, Michelle Donelan, was given the right to attend Cabinet. Under Donelan's successor, Andrea Jenkyns, the position was demoted to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.
At certain times, the Minister worked in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The short form Skills Minister is sometimes used.[3]
History
The minister once more attended cabinet after the 2021 British cabinet reshuffle.[4]
Responsibilities
The minister has the following responsibilities:[5]
- Strategy for post-16 education
- Higher technical education (levels 4 and 5)
- Further education funding and accountability
- Lifelong learning entitlement
- Institutes of Technology and National Colleges
- Universities and higher education reform
- Higher education quality
- Student finance (including the Student Loans Company)
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) response for universities, higher education institutions and further education services (jointly with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Skills))
The position had increased prominence in 2020 and 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic affected further education and university education.[6]
List of ministers of state for higher and further education
| Name | Portrait | Took office | Left office | Political party | Prime Minister | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role created out of the Department for Education and Skills | |||||||
| Minister of State for Universities | |||||||
| Margaret Hodge
MP for Barking |
 |
11 June 2001 | 13 June 2003 | Labour | Tony Blair
(ll) | ||
| Minister of State for Higher Education | |||||||
| Alan Johnson |  |
13 June 2003 | 8 September 2004 | Labour | Tony Blair
(ll) | ||
| Kim Howells
MP for Pontypridd |
 |
10 September 2004 | 11 May 2005 | Labour | Tony Blair
(ll) | ||
| Bill Rammell
MP for Harlow |
 |
11 May 2005 | 5 October 2008 | Labour | Tony Blair
(lll) (l) | ||
| Minister of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills | |||||||
| David Lammy
the MP for Tottenham |
 |
28 June 2007 | 11 May 2010 | Labour | Gordon Brown
(l) | ||
| Minister of State for Universities, Science and Cities | |||||||
| David Willetts
MP for Havant |
 |
11 May 2010 | 14 July 2014 | Conservative | David Cameron | ||
| Greg Clark
MP for Royal Tunbridge Wells |
 |
15 July 2014 | 11 May 2015 | Conservative | David Cameron | ||
| Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation | |||||||
| Jo Johnson
MP for Orpington |
.jpg.webp) |
11 May 2015 | 9 January 2018 | Conservative | David Cameron
(II) | ||
| Sam Gyimah
MP for East Surrey |
 |
9 January 2018 | 30 November 2018 | Conservative | Theresa May
(II) | ||
| Chris Skidmore[7]
MP for Kingswood |
 |
5 December 2018 | 24 July 2019 | Conservative | Theresa May
(II) | ||
| Jo Johnson
MP for Orpington |
|
24 July 2019 | 5 September 2019 | Conservative | Boris Johnson
(l) | ||
| Chris Skidmore
MP for Kingswood |
|
10 September 2019 | 13 February 2020 | Conservative | Boris Johnson | ||
| Minister of State for Universities | |||||||
| Michelle Donelan
MP for Chippenham |
 |
13 February 2020 | 15 September 2021 | Conservative | Boris Johnson
(ll) | ||
| Minister of State for Higher and Further Education | |||||||
| Michelle Donelan
MP for Chippenham |
|
15 September 2021 | 5 July 2022 | Conservative | Boris Johnson
(ll) | ||
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education | |||||||
| Andrea Jenkyns
MP for Morley and Outwood |
 |
9 July 2022 | 8 September 2022 | Conservative | Boris Johnson
(ll) | ||
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills | |||||||
| Andrea Jenkyns
MP for Morley and Outwood |
|
8 September 2022 | 27 October 2022 | Conservative | Liz Truss
(l) | ||
| Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education | |||||||
| Robert Halfon
MP for Harlow |
 |
26 October 2022 | Incumbent | Conservative | Rishi Sunak(I) | ||
References
- "Minister of State (Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- "Minister of State (Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- "Two ministers make visit to Keighley". Rombalds Radio. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
Skills Minister Robert Halfon
- "Cabinet reshuffle 2021: Who is in Boris Johnson's new cabinet?". BBC News. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- "Minister of State (Minister for Higher and Further Education) - GOV.UK". Gov.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- "Ministers urged to put pressure on universities over refunds for students". Shropshire Star. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- Gaind, Nisha; Vesper, Inga (5 December 2018). "Government loyalist appointed new UK science minister as Brexit woes continue". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-07655-9. S2CID 158206538.
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