The restructuring of the English skills system was announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown shortly after he took office in 2007.

The office was originally a corporation sole, and employees were appointed by the chief executive as Crown servants, collectively referred to as the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).

[1] The agency supported over 1,000 colleges, private training organisations, and employers with more than £4 billion of funding each year.

The SFA's mission was to ensure that people and businesses could access the skills training they needed to succeed in playing their part in society and in growing England’s economy.

This was done in the context of policy set by government and informed by the needs of businesses, communities and regions, and sector and industry bodies.