The UK Government has unveiled its long-awaited ‘levelling-up missions’ that will provide a framework for investment in typically underfunded regions of the UK till 2030. There will be a particular focus on transport and skills as well as giving more extended powers to mayoral regions.
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The White Paper will set out a complete ‘system change’ of how government works that will be implemented to level up the UK.
At the heart of this new way of making and implementing policy will be 12 bold, national missions - all quantifiable and to be achieved by 2030. These missions are the policy objectives for levelling up, and thus form the heart of the government’s agenda for the 2020s.
These missions will be cross-government, cross-society efforts. The first mission, for instance, will see pay, employment, and productivity grow everywhere, and the disparities between the top and worst performing areas narrow.
It is a vision for the future that will see public spending on R&D increased in every part of the country; transport connectivity improving; faster broadband in every community; life expectancies rising; violent crime falling; schools improving; and private sector investment being unleashed.
CIHT welcomes today's announcement with transport core to the delivery of the Levelling Up agenda. Investing in more integrated transport will enable people to access economic and social opportunities, in a carbon friendly way, and will be key to the future prosperity of all regions across the UK. Investing in transport will also help develop future skills and open up opportunities for people to work in this rewarding sector.
By 2030, local public transport connectivity across the country will be significantly closer to the standards of London, with improved services, simpler fares, and integrated ticketing.
This ‘levelling-up mission’ will look to bring better transport and connectivity across the country in regions that are typically underfunded. The aim will be to bring these regions significantly closer to the standards of London’s transport system. While the comparison has not been London, in CIHT’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) response it called for when it comes to levelling up CIHT sees investment in the local highway network (LHN) as the biggest priority. Without adequate funding, it means that other government plans will not be met. This is not about road building but about transforming communities. Planning and transport together can deliver all that the government wants but it needs investment in people to change. Therefore, this mission to level-up transport connectivity across the country is most welcome.
However, it is important to note that also outlined in CIHT’s CSR response was the need to develop a National Transport Strategy (NTS). Therefore, while this mission is welcome there needs to be an NTS that can provide a framework for this new investment.
By 2030, the number of people successfully completing high-quality skills training will have significantly increased in every area of the UK. In England, this will lead to 200,000 more people successfully completing high-quality skills training annually, driven by 80,000 more people completing courses in the lowest skilled areas.
Local skills development plans will be implemented throughout England, allowing local business organisations and others a formal role in developing skills training in their region.
For decades, too many communities have been overlooked and undervalued. As some areas have flourished, others have been left in a cycle of decline. The UK has been like a jet firing on only one engine
CIHT calls for the government to work with the highways and transportation sector to produce a clear strategy for developing the workforce to deliver the government’s transport strategy. This would enable the UK to export those skills and capability and gain a competitive advantage over other nations.
Moreover, CIHT emphasises the need for an up-skill plan to enable the existing workforce to meet the short-term skills needs for transition to net zero. CIHT is in a position to work with government to bridge the gap in lack of knowledge and understanding of net-zero and decarbonisation within industry and public sector through delivering learning modules.
In a recent CIHT Masterclass on Social Value it was discussed by industry leaders that investment in skills and training has benefits that go beyond individual benefit and contribute a huge source of value to the wider community. Therefore, this mission to level-up skills is a necessity for infrastructure projects. Cutting corners in this regard risks jeopardising quality and safety; however, it also has the potential to add real social value to communities.
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