Cogent Skills
Interim Policy Lead
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Vocational Education & Skills Policy Lead (Short-Term, Interim)
Term: 12 weeks Start: As soon as possible Hours: Minimum 21 to maximum 35 hrs per week Day Rate: Up to £500 per day Reports to: Head of Skills for Clean Growth
Summary
Cogent Skills is an employer-led organisation dedicated to fostering a skilled, productive, and future-ready workforce in science-based and process-intensive industries. Established to amplify the voice of employers in vocational education and skills policy, Cogent bridges industry, government, and education to shape qualifications, apprenticeships, and skills ecosystems that align neatly with employer needs.
Core industries include chemicals, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, nuclear, oil and gas, polymers, and clean growth, focusing on technically demanding, safety-critical, and strategically important sectors of the UK economy. Through policy influence, collaboration, standards development, and employer support, Cogent ensures these industries can access essential skills today and for the future, across all four nations.
This short-term interim role provides expert vocational education and skills policy coverage across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, maintaining continuity of service during a period of absence. The consultant plays a pivotal role in keeping Cogent’s credibility, visibility, and value to employer members intact.
Core Focus
The successful candidate will act as Cogent’s day-to-day expert on vocational education and skills policy, focusing on:
- Translating policy developments into clear, actionable implications for employers.
- Aligning Cogent’s policy messaging with the Skills Manifesto.
- Ensuring internal and external stakeholders remain engaged and informed.
- Collaborating with the marketing team to develop articles, webinars, and thought leadership materials.
Key Responsibilities
Vocational Education & Skills Policy Leadership
- Monitor and analyse policy developments, funding strategies, and regulatory changes across the four UK nations.
- Provide critical policy analysis, highlighting risks, opportunities, and practical guidance for employers and Cogent.
- Maintain an up-to-date understanding of apprenticeship reform and wider vocational education debates.
- Serve as Cogent’s key liaison with Skills England, representing employer interests, contributing expert insight to policy discussions, and ensuring Cogent is proactively engaged in emerging skills reforms and priorities.
- Lead the production of external articles, communications, and thought leadership pieces.
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Employer Value & Engagement
- Deliver timely, relevant policy updates to employer groups via:
- Structured meetings and briefings.
- Concise email updates designed for clear value retention.
- Champion employer perspectives in policy discussions and Cogent’s activities.
- Develop and deliver tailored employer support, including:
- One-to-one guidance and counselling.
- Workshops and infringing materials.
Apprenticeships Expertise
- Offer expert advisory services to employers on apprenticeship implementation, covering:
- Strategic workforce planning.
- Programme design.
- Contracting, funding, and delivery models.
- Disseminate employer challenges and barriers, ensuring these feed into Cogent’s and partner’s activities.
Devolved Nations Policy
- Build and refine understanding of nation-specific skills policy, ensuring UK-wide consistency in skills access.
- Position Cogent as relevant and well-connected within devolved administrations.
- Brief internal staff on policy variations across nations and their implications.
Internal Collaboration & Alignment
- Work collaboratively to:
- Standards Consultant: Ensuring employer insights inform standards development.
- Head of Marketing: Optimising visibility and impact of Cogent’s policy influence.
- Sciences and Nuclear Industries leads: Enabling timely member briefings.
- Design and facilitate collaborative forums, aligned with evidence-based skills policy.
- Engage with trade associations based on clear policy consensus.
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Expected Outputs/Deliverables
- Short, regular policy updates for internal teams and employer groups.
- Collaborative briefings or slide decks for external meetings.
- Employer-facing guidance (written and delivered).
- Input into Cogent policy positions and engaged partnerships.
- Regular intelligence and feedback briefings on Skills England engagement, used to inform Cogent’s employer communications and policy.
Required Knowledge & Skills
For this role, the consultant should demonstrate:
- A comprehensive understanding of Skills England’s remit, influence, and ability to:
- Advocate for employer perspectives.
- Engage constructively in policy dialogue and procedural debates.
- Simplify policy implications for employers and Cogent.
- Strong analysis of apprenticeship reform’s historical and current context, including:
- Government rationale and motivations behind the reforms.
- How reforms reshape organisational structures, models, delivery frameworks.
- Advisory perspectives on success, failures, and necessary changes.
- Deep employer-centric expertise in:
- Apprenticeship delivery from inception through funding and implementation.
- Practical fire-fighting for employer-facing challenges.
- A comprehensive but clear understanding of skills systems across the devolved nations, evaluating:
- Strengths, weaknesses, and disparities.
- Ability to:
- Analyse policy shifts, operational adjustments, and assess impact on employers and Cogent’s function.
- Strong communication skills, with a distinct ability to:
- Clarify complex policy into practicable messages for diverse audiences.
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