Professor Manuel Frutos-Perez, Chief Academic Officer at CEG Digital, visited parliament on March 3rd 2026 as part of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Skills, Careers & Employment (APPG). The event, Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper – Deep Dive with Minister for Skills, Baroness Jacqui Smith, was chaired by Lauren Edwards MP and was well-attended by parliamentarians representing all parties on the APPG and senior stakeholders from a diverse range of sectors across industry and education.
About the event
Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, presented the ambitions behind the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper. This was followed by a discussion from members of the AAPG on different aspects of the paper and how policy should evolve to create the right conditions for those ambitions to be realised.
Professor Frutos-Perez attended on behalf of Cambridge Education Group, putting forward the interests of the many thousands of learners that we represent across our divisions.
Outcomes of the Session
The productive session highlighted the priorities for the UK government that form the basis for the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper:
- Widening access and participation, and a focus on employability, are at the core of the Skills’ policy area.
- The UK government wants to improve access to short courses and modular study, as well as better supporting career changers.
- The UK government also aims to encourage more provider specialisation and collaboration across institutions.
Cambridge Education Group is proud to be part of a group where important discussions can take place and inform policy development.
