Are Skills the Answer to Rebooting Britain?

As the UK navigates complex transitions – from economic uncertainty and technological acceleration to demographic shifts and environmental pressures – the question arises: Are we preparing people for the future we’re heading towards, or for a world that no longer exists?

Anthropy25, against the backdrop of the Eden Project’s biomes, was a moment of collective reflection and optimism, convening leaders across sectors to explore solutions for a sustainable, prosperous Britain.

One of the themes of Anthropy25 was Education and Skills Fit for Our Futures, where the conversation expanded far beyond the usual focus on STEM and digital. While AI, data literacy and tech fluency were repeatedly acknowledged as vital, many contributors argued for a broader, more human-centred skills agenda.

At Bean, we’ve spent years exploring the links between social value, purpose and people’s potential. From our work with City & Guilds on continuous learning and vocational education, to supporting The King’s Foundation on heritage and craft skills, one thing is clear: we don’t have a shortage of talent in the UK – we have a mismatch of recognition, investment and opportunity.

Ben Page, Global CEO of Ipsos, reminded us that the UK still ranks as one of the most admired nations globally – but warned that sustaining that reputation depends on renewing our social contract, particularly through education that values vocational pathways and community contribution.

Sessions revealed deep consensus: skills for the future must include traits often categorised as “soft” – such as adaptability, resilience, creativity, leadership and critical thinking. These are not optional extras. They are mission-critical capacities that define our ability to thrive amidst uncertainty.

As Nia Richards, CEO of Creativity, Culture & Education, put it:

“The most important skill going forward will be the ability to learn and continue learning. Creative thinkers will lead in the age of AI.”

There was a core dialogue that was a commitment to reshaping education so that it reflects the complex world young people are inheriting. The work of Emma Vyvyan at Sky Primary and the Eden Project Nursery exemplifies this ethos – designing curricula that centre creativity, sustainability, and learning beyond the classroom.

The notion of creative education as problem-solving, not just artistic expression, was a recurrent message. The Royal Society of Arts session, “Creative Education Can Change Tomorrow”, asserted that passion is the greatest motivator, and that education must unlock curiosity and purpose.

Emerging leader, Dev Sharma, championed interest-driven learning, through initiatives like the Extended Project Qualification, highlighting how self-directed inquiry develops independence, problem-solving and motivation.

Across panels, there was clear agreement: skills development is not a luxury – it’s an economic necessity. The importance of investing in skills doesn’t always show up neatly in a spreadsheet. What does it mean to invest in curiosity? In purpose? In collaboration?

We know, through our research, that essential skills often underpin long-term value creation – for individuals, organisations and places. But these are often the first things to be cut when budgets tighten.

Creativity, purpose and place-based learning aren’t nice to-haves. They’re what makes learning stick – what makes it matter. And if we’re to build a skills system fit for the future, we need to be braver in how we fund, measure and evaluate these kinds of impacts.

Claudine Blamey from Aviva challenged the notion of productivity as output alone. The future of economic vitality, she argued, depends on how well we nurture human potential – and this requires a broader definition of what counts as value. Measuring and investing in essential or soft skills is central to this effort.

The UK Government’s Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth strategy sets out a vision for a more agile, employer-responsive skills system. Yet, as highlighted in the session led by Business in the Community, there is a pressing need to go further. The strategy must do more to support supply chains, mature learners, and the under-utilised segments of the workforce. With 43 million people needing upskilling and 60% of UK workers mismatched in their current roles, the scale of transformation required is unprecedented. Louise Kingham from BP plc, called for the reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy to be able to do more across the supply chain and wider education.

At Bean, we believe in grounding change in evidence. That means understanding the lived experience of learners, employers and educators. It means evaluating programmes not just by numbers completed, but by the difference they made. Our research highlights the importance of:

If we can do this well, we don’t just build skills pipelines – we build communities of learning, networks of purpose, and careers that feel worth pursuing. Without meaningful measurement for evaluation and learning, investment in skills risks being superficial or short-term.

Anthropy25 reminded us that change isn’t easy, but nor is standing still. Resilience, purpose and creativity were the watchwords across every conversation – and nowhere are these more needed than in the UK’s approach to skills.

The future is not something we inherit – it’s something we create. And skills are the tools we use to shape it.

If we want to reboot Britain, we must back our people with the learning they need, in the ways that work for them – from early years to later life, from frontline roles to leadership. And we must measure what matters, not just what’s easy.

This is not about optimism for its own sake. It’s about belief – in people, in potential, and in the power of learning to build a fairer, more resilient society.