Plan to boost the job prospects of the Nation
By TJ (16-11-2007)
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The Government today unveiled an ambitious plan to boost the Nation's job prospects, pledging to invest more than £11 billion a year in education, employment and training initiatives for young people and adults over the next three years.
A major expansion of apprnticeships is the centre of the programme, which will see spending on learning and skills rising from £6.5 billion a yar in 2001/02 to £12.3 billion a year in 2010/11. Over £1billion in Government funding will be used to increase overall places from 250,000 today to more than 400,000 by 2010/11, provided high quality employer places are available. Achieving these figures in this timescale would deliver the challenges set by Lord Leitch in his review of skills almost 10 years early.
Funding will be targeted specifically at expanding apprenticeships for adults aged over 25. Over the next three years £90 million will be spend on creating an additional 30,000 apprenticeships.
Overall, total DIUS funding for LSC spending for adult skills and apprenticeships will increase to £4.3 billion a year by 2011, helping deliver an increase in spending of 17 per cent on adult learning. The funding will provide over seven million training places over the three year spending review period from 2008/9.
Funding will be focused on training designed to improve job prospects and opportunities for further learning. Investment will be targeted in new priority areas where the greatest benefit will be felt.
Key improvements will include:
- A right to basic skills training where needed, coupled with the biggest ever investment in this area. DIUS will spend around £1.5 billion per year on first steps training - including over 3.6 million learners on 'Skills for Life' courses over the spending review period. To underline the Government's commitment John Denham also published a new booklet 'Skills - Investing in the first steps' setting out the Government's investment and vision for adult learners who have yet to obtain basic skills.
- A right to free, first-time full level 2 adult training (equivalent to 5 A-C GCSEs) through the provision of over 800,000 places in 2010/11 - a 30 per cent increase on 2007/08.
- The provision of over 500,000 full level 3 adult training places (equivalent to 2 A-levels) in 2010/11 an increase of 148 per cent on 2007/08. Free provision will be a right for those aged between 19 and 25.
- A doubling of Government investment in work based skills training to boost the skills and expertise of the workforce. The budget for the 'Train to Gain' programme will rise from £440m to over £1billion in 2010-11 supporting an expected 872,000 learners that year.
- Developing a joined up, one stop advancement service for adults to support people to identify training, develop skills, access child care support and find long term employment.
- Providing learners with 'Skills Accounts' to help fund skills training which will help drive the system to meet individual needs. By 2010/11 helping them access around £500 million of adult learning, increasing to nearly £1.5 billion by 2015.
For young people The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will play a crucial role in helping achieve the ambition to increase participation post-16, raise attainment at 19 and reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Nearly £6.8 billion is being invested in learning places for young people - an increase in funding of £758m by 2010. This will be on course to have a full 100 per cent participation in education and training when the participation age is raised to 18 and will cement the delivery of the challenging Level 2 and Level 3 targets at 19.
To support these initiatives, the Government also announced it was making available over £2billion by 2010-11 to help build world class and sustainable education facilities to support this programme.
John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills said:
"For millions of people, skills and learning are the key to improving their lives - whether getting into and on at work, improving job prospects or simply putting more money into their pockets.
"For the country, skills and learning are the key to remaining globally competitive.
"Today's announcement amounts to a kick-start of the Government's drive to put Britain in the premier league for skills. This work will help ensure the future economic competitiveness of the country. It will raise aspirations, improve life chances and strengthen our families and communities."
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