Speakers Include:

David Lammy MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Skills

David Willetts MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Elaine McMahon, Principal, Hull College; Chair, 157 Group
Sir George Sweeney, Chair, Self-Regulation Implementation Group and The Single Voice for Self-Regulation

Caroline Abrahams, Programme Director for Children and Young People, Local Government Association (LGA)
David Frost, Director General,
British Chambers of Commerce (BCC)
Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP, Former Secretary of State for
Education and Skills

Further education and skills are essential assets for the future and the backbone of education and skills policy in the UK. The Leitch and Foster Reviews set out policies which depend on FE and skills to improve economic growth, productivity and to meet the demand to make the UK the leading knowledge economy over the next decade.

It falls principally to the FE and skills sector to deliver if the UK is to remain competitive. Following the split of DIUS and DCSF and the transfer of funding responsibilities to local authorities, the sector now also has to operate in a new financial landscape.

Following the hugely successful inaugural summit in 2007, this 2nd annual FE and Skills summit will look at the new challenges facing the sector and what strategies it will need in order to thrive. The summit brings together principals, chief executives, sector leaders and experts in FE and skills to debate which approaches and models will unlock the potential of the FE and skills sector to become the engine room of the UK economy.