The Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) new Single Equality Scheme brings together the its policies on race, gender and disability, ensuring a coherent framework for promoting equality and diversity within the organisation and across the learning and skills sector.

The scheme describes in a single document how the LSC will fulfil its statutory duties to promote equality of opportunity and avoid discrimination, demonstrating its commitment to placing the promotion of equality and diversity at the centre of every aspect of its work. The new scheme also links closely into the LSC’s agenda for change programme, which aims to positively transform the learning and skills system in England.

The LSC aims to do more than comply with the present legislation for equal opportunities. It has already taken significant steps toward remedying past disadvantage and exclusion, for example in its national strategy for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities – Learning for Living and Work.

The Single Equality Scheme incorporate the goals and actions of the Equality and Diversity Strategy produced by the LSC in 2004, taking them forward to deliver further change and improvements in access to learning and attainment.

Mark Haysom, LSC Chief Executive, said:

 “We can only realise our vision of creating a word-class workforce if we remove barriers, eliminate discrimination, address disadvantage, and raise the aspirations of both present and potential learners. Our Single Equality Scheme shows how we will put this into practice. Its objectives are aligned with our national priorities, so that it will operate strategically, in the mainstream of our work”.

Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, said:

"I welcome the LSC's innovative approach in undertaking a Single Equality Scheme (SES), which covers all equality and diversity strands.  The SES sits well with the LSC’s wider role in promoting reform, and leading change and new ways of working across the sector"

The LSC plans for the Single Equality Scheme to eventually be a model for colleges and providers to develop their own inclusive and coherent approach to equality and diversity. The scheme will be effective from 30 April 2007 – 29 April 2010.

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