Vocational Education & Skills Policy Lead (Short-Term, Interim)
Term: 12 weeks
Start: asap
Hours: Min 21 to max 35 hrs per week.
Reporting to: Head of Skills for Clean Growth
Day rate: Up to £500 per day
Summary
Cogent Skills is an employer‑led organisation that exists to support the development of a skilled, productive and future‑ready workforce in science‑based and process‑intensive industries. Established to ensure that employers have a strong voice in vocational education and skills policy, Cogent works at the interface between industry, government and education to shape qualifications, apprenticeships and skills systems that genuinely meet employer need. Its core sectors include the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, nuclear, oil and gas, polymers and related advanced manufacturing and clean growth industries, with a strong focus on technically demanding, safety‑critical and strategically important parts of the UK economy. Through policy influence, collaboration, standards development and employer support, Cogent helps ensure these industries can access the skills they need now and in the future, across all nations of the UK.
The purpose of this role is to provide temporary expert cover for vocational education and skills policy across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, ensuring continuity of high‑quality, employer‑focused insight and support during a period of sickness absence. The role exists to maintain Cogent’s credibility and visibility across our sectors and value to Cogent’s employer members.
Core Focus
The consultant will:
- Act as Cogent’s day‑to‑day expert on vocational education and skills policy
- Translate policy developments into clear, practical implications for employers
- Align policy messaging to Cogent’s skills manifesto
- Ensure internal teams and external collaboration groups remain fully informed and engaged on the implications of policy changes
- Work with the marketing team to support the production of articles, webinars, thought leadership etc.
Key Responsibilities
Vocational Education & Skills Policy Leadership
- Monitor, analyse and interpret developments in skills policy, funding, and regulation across England, Wales, Scotland and N Ireland
- Proactively provide e clear, critical analysis of policy changes, highlighting implications, risks ,opportunities and practical guidance for employers and Cogent
- Maintain an up‑to‑date understanding of apprenticeship reform and wider vocational education policy thinking
- Maintain and manage Cogent’s relationship with Skills England, acting as an informed and credible representative of the organisation and its employer members, contributing employer insight to policy discussions and ensuring Cogent is sighted on and influences emerging skills priorities and reforms.
- Lead the production of external articles, communications and thought leadership.
Employer Value and Engagement
- Ensure collaboration and employer groups receive timely, relevant policy updates via:
- Meetings and briefings
- Regular, concise email updates designed to maximise value of membership
- Champion employer perspectives within policy discussions and Cogent activity
- Design and deliver employer support where required, including one‑to‑one advice, workshops and guidance materials
Apprenticeships Expertise
- Provide expert advice and guidance to employers on apprenticeship implementation, covering:
- Strategic workforce planning
- Programme design
- Contracting, funding and delivery models
- Articulate employer challenges and barriers and feed these into Cogent and partner activity
Devolved Nations Policy
- Build and maintain a working understanding of skills and apprenticeship policy across the devolved nations
- Ensure employers can access skills on a UK‑wide basis
- Support Cogent’s relevance, profile and relationships within devolved administrations
- Brief internal staff on differences in policy, structures and implications for employers in each nation
Internal Collaboration & Alignment
- Work closely with:
- Standards Consultant – ensuring employer insight and feedback informs standards development and review
- Head of Marketing – maximising visibility and impact of Cogent’s policy work and positions
- Science Industries and Nuclear Industries collaboration leads – ensuring timely briefings for members to maximise membership value
- Support the development of collaborative forums and partnerships with trade associations, aligned to clear and evidence‑based skills policy positions
Expected Outputs / Deliverables
- Short, regular policy updates for internal teams and employer groups
- Briefings or slide decks for collaboration meetings
- Employer‑facing guidance and advice (written or delivered)
- Input to Cogent policy positions and partnership activity
- Regular intelligence and briefing outputs on Skills England engagement, including feedback on policy direction, risks and opportunities, shared with internal teams and used to inform employer communications and Cogent policy positions.
Required Knowledge and Skills
The consultant should be able to demonstrate:
- A strong understanding of the role, remit and influence of Skills England within the English skills system, with the credibility and confidence to represent employer interests, engage constructively in policy dialogue, and translate developments into clear implications for Cogent and its sectors.
- A strong understanding of the historical and current context of apprenticeship reform, including:
- Rationale and motivations behind the English government reform agenda
- How reforms have shaped structures, organisations and delivery models
- A critical perspective on what is working, what is not, and what needs to change
- A deep understanding of apprenticeships from the employer perspective, including practical delivery challenges
- Confidence advising employers across the full apprenticeship lifecycle, from strategy through funding and implementation
- A general but robust understanding of skills systems across the devolved nations, including strengths, weaknesses and key differences
- Ability to analyse policy and operational changes and assess their impact on both employers and Cogent’s operating model
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate complex policy into clear, relevant messages for employers, partners and internal teams
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