Skills for Life campaign: It all starts with skills

We are launching a new high-profile skills campaign on 4 January and would like to provide you with more information about the campaign and how you can get involved.

The new Skills for Life campaign ‘It all starts with skills’ invites young people, adults and businesses to make the most of their potential by engaging in a range of government skills and technical education offers.

The campaign supports reforms to create a skills system that supports people of all backgrounds into secure and well-paid employment, ultimately giving businesses the skilled workforce they need for our economy to thrive.

Whether they’re growing a business, switching career or just starting out, ‘It all starts with skills’ aims to motivate and equip people to make informed choices, and gain the skills and qualifications they need to progress.

Inspiring action, the campaign promotes a range of priority skills programmes, such as apprenticeships, T Levels, Skills Bootcamps, Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), Free Courses for Jobs, Multiply, essential skills (English, maths and digital) and support and advice from the National Careers Service.

The campaign directs people to the new Skills for Careers website, where they can explore information about skills training options and careers.

Creative and media summary

The campaign is built on the idea that skills can help everybody and every business to realise their full potential, but unless you seize the moment and do something about it now, that potential may never be realised. We are encouraging people to make one day, today.

The campaign’s first phase will run from 4 January to 31 March 2024 and includes:

• Search advertising
• TV (linear and video on demand), cinema, out of home (e.g. billboards and bus sides), digital display, audio and social advertising
• Partnerships with News UK, Channel 4, Snapchat, Springpod, UCAS, Not Going to Uni and The Student Room
• Ongoing PR and influencer activity 

Supporting the campaign

We’d be delighted if you could support the campaign by:

• Encouraging young people, adults and businesses to explore the choices on offer by directing them to our new Skills for Careers website.
• Using the #SkillsForLife (primary) and #ItAllStartsWithSkills (secondary) hashtags in your social posts and online media
• Sharing and liking the social media content on DfE’s social media channels below

DfE - Facebook 

DfE - Twitter (X) 

DfE - Instagram

DfE - YouTube 

DfE’s employer social media channels:

Skills Support for Employers - Twitter (X)

Skills Support for Employers - Facebook

Skills Support for Employers - LinkedIn

Our stakeholder toolkit will be updated in the lead up to launch. It provides materials and resources to support you to share and amplify the campaign through your own channels.

Together, we can encourage young people, adults and employers to find out more about government skills and technical education programmes. And with your support, many more people will know how they can take up skills offers that could change lives and businesses.

For any queries please contact Adult.SKILLS@education.gov.uk

Kind regards

Skills for Life Campaign