ADULT LEARNING The View from the DfES Brian Helsdon Department for Education & Skills Access and Inclusion Team

SUCCESSES 48% real increase in funding in FE since 1997 Investment in improving quality & standards in teaching & learning Improved the basic skills of over a million adults

PRIORITIES (1) a place at a school, college or training provider for every young person who stays on education or training; help for adults who lack basic skills or the platform of skills for employability (a first full Level 2 qualification); a wide range of opportunities for adults to progress to higher level skills and qualifications; and the continued availability of a wide range of adult learning opportunities for personal and community development.

PRIORITIES (2) fewer places on publicly funded courses c230k by 2007/8 - 500K on internal/ non certificated provision + 270K places on full level 2 3.5m adults on FE courses in 2007/8 (-6%) LSC will cease to fund certain courses eg short courses

FEES new balance between the taxpayer, employer and individual learner fee assumptions up from 27.5% to 37.5% and ultimately 50% Mori/ NIACE poll figures suggest public support Continued financial support for learners and fee remission

LEARNERS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AND DISABILITIES Little Report “Through Inclusion to Excellence” ALI Report “Greater Expectations: provision for learners with disabilities” LSC supports more than 641,000 LLDDs at a cost of nearly £1.5b pa No policy to transfer responsibility for LLDDs to PCDL

FE WHITE PAPER Focus on vocational training and employability skills New opportunities; specialisation, Competition Train to Gain, IAG, Foundation Learning Tier Reaffirms commitment to learning for its own intrinsic value

LEARNING FOR PERSONAL & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Safeguarded budget of £210m in 2006/7 £120m for learning programmes run by local authorities now run as part of adult and community learning, which are not directly associated with qualifications. £33m of similar provision in FE. £57m for family learning, including the family literacy, language and numeracy programme and the budget for neighbourhood learning.

ACL AND PCDL FUNDING 2005/6 & 6/7 2006/7 PCDL £120M FIRST STEPS £ 55M £ 37.5M (-£17.5M) FAMILY LEARNING ETC £ 57M ACL TOTAL £232M £214.5M PCDL IN FE £ 33M PCDL TOTAL £210M

PCDL - OBJECTIVES A good balance of high quality provision in every area Wider participation Help for pockets of deprivation Minimise form filling for teachers and learners

RENEWED PLANNING ARRANGEMENTS Reinvigorate PCDL Include similar non LSC funded provision Bring greater coherence and co-ordination Engage local communities in planning PCDL in a consistent way

NEXT STEPS formulate proposals for local LSC led Partnerships to plan and co-ordinate local provision secure buy in by national stakeholders and other Government Departments through an external Task Group model the impact of redistribution using agreed 2006/7 baseline