Andy Westwood Appointed to Skills England Board
Professor Andy Westwood, Policy Director at The Productivity Institute and Professor of Public Policy at the University of Manchester, has been appointed to the board of Skills England.
This newly established executive agency under the Department for Education aims to provide strategic oversight of the post-16 skills system in England, aligning education and training with the country’s industrial strategy.
Professor Westwood brings a wealth of experience to the role, with a distinguished career in further and higher education, science policy, and local/regional economic development. He has served as an adviser for the OECD, IMF, EU, and the House of Lords select committees on Economic Affairs and Digital Skills. His appointment to Skills England underscores his commitment to addressing the UK’s productivity challenges through effective skills and innovation policies .
In his recent commentary on Skills England, Professor Westwood emphasized the need for the agency to act as both the “brains” and “brawn” of the skills system, coordinating policy and funding across multiple departments to drive strategic interventions .
Joining Professor Westwood on the Skills England board is Anthony Impey MBE, CEO of Be the Business, a partner organisation of The Productivity Institute. Mr. Impey is a renowned entrepreneur and business leader dedicated to improving productivity among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. His extensive experience includes chairing the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network and leading initiatives to support disadvantaged youth entering the technology sector.
The appointments of Professor Westwood and Mr. Impey to the Skills England board highlight the critical role of collaboration between academia, industry, and government in addressing the UK’s skills and productivity challenges. Their combined expertise will be instrumental in shaping a cohesive and responsive skills strategy that supports sustainable economic growth.
For more information on Skills England and its board members, please read the official announcement.
About The Productivity Institute
The Productivity Institute brings together world-leading and UK experts from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, working directly with policymakers and businesses to better understand, measure, and enable improvements in productivity across the whole of the UK, with the aim of improving living standards and well-being.
