# Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education

The minister of state for Skills, formerly Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education and previously Minister of State for Universities, is a mid-level position in the Department for Education in the British government. The position has been filled by Jacqui Smith since July 2024. The minister has oversight over skills and higher and further education, including universities and the Student Loans Company.
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 a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State role and known as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education.
Under the Sunak ministeries, the role was promoted back to the level of Minister of State.
At certain times, the minister worked in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The short form Skills Minister is sometimes used.

## History

The position had increased prominence in 2020 and 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic affected further education and university education. The minister attended cabinet briefly after the 2021 British cabinet reshuffle.

## Responsibilities

The minister has the following responsibilities:
* Skills England
* Technical qualifications, including T Levels
* Higher technical education (levels 4 and 5)
* Adult education, including basic skills and combined authority devolution
* Careers advice and support for young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) (including the Careers and Enterprise Company)
* Apprenticeships, including the growth and skills levy
* Technical Excellence Colleges
* Local skills improvement plans
* Governance, intervention and accountability of further education colleges
* Funding for education and training, provision and outcomes for 16- to 19-year-olds
* Further education funding, financial stability and workforce
* Access to higher education, participation and lifelong learning
* Quality of higher education and the student experience (including the Office for Students)
* Student finance (including the Student Loans Company)
* International education

## List of ministers of state for higher and further education

| Name | Name | 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 MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle | 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) Gordon Brown (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 (Coalition) |
| | Greg Clark MP for Royal Tunbridge Wells | 15 July 2014 | 11 May 2015 | Conservative | David Cameron (Coalition) |
| Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation ||||||||
| | Jo Johnson MP for Orpington | 11 May 2015 | 9 January 2018 | Conservative | David Cameron (II) Theresa May (I) + (II) |
| | Sam Gyimah MP for East Surrey | 9 January 2018 | 30 November 2018 | Conservative | Theresa May (II) |
| | Chris Skidmore 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 (l) + (ll) |
| Minister of State for Universities Feb 2020 to Sept 2021 Minister of State for Higher and Further Education Sept 2021 to July 2022 ||||||||
| | Michelle Donelan MP for Chippenham | 13 February 2020 | 5 July 2022 | Conservative | Boris Johnson (ll) |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education July 2022 to Sept 2022 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills Sept to Oct 2022 ||||||||
| | Andrea Jenkyns MP for Morley and Outwood | 9 July 2022 | 26 October 2022 | Conservative | Boris Johnson (ll) |
| Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education ||||||||
| | Robert Halfon MP for Harlow | 26 October 2022 | 26 March 2024 | Conservative | Rishi Sunak (I) |
| | Luke Hall MP for Thornbury and Yate | 26 March 2024 | 5 July 2024 | Conservative | Rishi Sunak (I) |
| Minister of State for Skills ||||||||
| | Baroness Smith of Malvern | 6 July 2024 | Incumbent | Labour | Keir Starmer (I) |