Two announcements in the autumn budget that could benefit the future of the workplace

Last week, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, delivered his anticipated annual autumn budget speech.

It was packed with policies that, naturally, will have a direct impact on workers, with some of the most notable including the announcement of a National Living Wage rise, pay rises for public sector workers and a commitment to levelling up.

There’s been plenty of commentary around whether the government’s budget goes far enough to tackle the impact of COVID-19. But, putting that to one side, there were two announcements in particular that I found really interesting, which include putting a focus on upskilling workers and creating better and fairer opportunities for more people to both get into, and thrive in the workplace.

A commitment to disability and special education needs

Firstly, the government has said it will commit ￡2.6bn to create 30,000 new school places for children with special education needs and disabilities. Working at a company that truly champions diversity and inclusion, and which is steered by a leader with a disability of his own, this is the kind of news that gives us hope for the future of work.

There’s already a huge number of businesses making strides with their own inclusive hiring practices, but it’s right that the government places an emphasis on creating opportunity at this early level. Making sure that everyone, regardless of their background or lived experience, has access to equal education is crucial if we want to ensure this is also reflected in the workplaces of the future. Education can help to transform people’s own expectations of themselves and their abilities, and give them the confidence to apply, interview and thrive at work.?

Living with a disability or being neurodiverse can present challenges in a world that has a rigid and often non-inclusive structure. However, some businesses are yet to realise that by bringing these people into the fold, they could be hiring some of the smartest, most resilient and creative thinkers possible.

The onus is, of course, on businesses to learn and make change. However, it’s welcome to see that the government has recognised the importance of equipping more people with the education and skills that they need for a successful career in the workplace.

More emphasis on non-traditional routes into a career

Secondly, Mr. Sunak also announced that the government will be committing ￡1.6bn over three years to roll out new T-levels for 16 to 19-year-olds, along with ￡550m for adult skills in England.

The two-year T-level courses are developed in collaboration with employers and businesses and make sure that students are prepared for work by offering a mixture of classroom working and on the job experience. I am a big advocate of non-traditional routes into a career and believe that a degree shouldn’t be the only way to land certain roles.

We know that we are in the midst of a skills gap and, while the urgency for quality talent is high, it is good to see that the government is investing in solutions to upskill our homegrown talent over the next few years as well.

In addition to that, there will be a further ￡170m dedicated to apprenticeships and training – giving young people and those looking to retrain an opportunity to learn on the job while also benefiting from an academic programme.

As noted in the BBC, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Our future economic success depends not just on the education we give to our children, but the lifelong learning we offer to adults.” He also said that the government’s ￡3bn investment would create a “skills revolution” – spreading opportunity across the UK by transforming post-16 education.

It will be really interesting to see how the impact of these policies is measured over the next few years, but I think they highlight two very crucial areas that have often been overlooked. The future workforce is going to look increasingly different, and while there’s always more to be done, these represent important next steps in that journey.?