The Department for Education’s top skills civil servant is stepping down, FE Week can reveal.
Director general for skills Paul Kett will leave the role later this year. He will be replaced by Julia Kinniburgh, the current director general for strategy.
Kett has served in several roles at the department over the last six years, rising to the senior rank of director general in 2017. He was initially responsible for education standards policy, but in January 2019 took over the higher and further education group.
Director generals report directly to the most senior civil servant in the department, the permanent secretary, and have close relationships with secretaries of state and ministers. Kett is one of five director generals at the DfE.
