ALP mini-manifesto calls for FE system to become demand-led

Submitted by Paul Convery on Thu, 01/04/2010 - 3:20pm

In a pre-election manifesto for skills and employment, the ALP is calling for a “simpler and more competitive funding system” for FE which, they say, would better serve individuals and their employers.

The ALP says that the next government must maintain progress from a “planner-captive” employment and skills system to a “more dynamic” arrangement driven by employer customers and students. The ALP also calls for the strengthening of apprenticeships by extending them to include level 4 or foundation degree level.
Graham Hoyle, ALP chief executive, said: “The Skills Funding Agency has the capacity to deliver a demand-led system, but whether it does remains to be seen. What it needs to be doing is to agree an overall budget and some outcome figures and then allowing employers and learners to operate within that.”
The ALP says it supports skills accounts as a means to achieving a demand- led system. These should allow students to choose to study at a “quality approved learning provider” whether that is a college, private or a third sector supplier. But it says that a demand-led system will only work if all providers are equally eligible for all aspects of FE funding. Currently, private providers are excluded from Adult Learner Responsive funding which goes to colleges.
http://www.learningproviders.org.uk/

Comments

Submitted by Raven on Tue, 06/04/2010 - 9:54am.

All Skills Accounts do is act as a virtual pamphlet telling you what learning provision you might be entitled to get. I like ALP's stance on lots of things but can't see for the life of me how Skills Accounts will change anything at all - my guess is that the accounts are so meaningless in reality that ALP may as well say nice things about them in order to try and win the real battles they want.