1. FE College Staff Governors Conference 2008 Adult learning

2. FE College Staff Governors Conference 2008 The context The Recession Leitch: all adult funding to be through Train to Gain and Skills Accounts by 2013 1.4 million adults lost to learning over last 2 years, mostly from Social Class C1 and C2 from 40% to 33% between 2006/7 and 2007/8. Full-time workers’ participation fell from 51% to 45%. Part-time workers’ participation fell from 55% to 48%. 25–34s learning fell from 50% to 43%. 25% decline in OAPs

3. FE College Staff Governors Conference 2008 Context contd: Fees for level 3+ programmes 27.5% of costs 2005/6 50% of costs 2010/2011 477,000 in the number of learners studying Health, Public Services and Care 394,000 in the number of learners studying Information and Communication Technology 248,000 in the number of learners studying Preparation for Life and Work The proportion of employees receiving job-related training in 2007 was just 14.9%: down from 17.3% in 2001. Informal adult learning consutlation

4. FE College Staff Governors Conference 2008 The positives There has been growth and investment Entitlements to level 2 and 3 Adult learning grant Union Learning Fund Unionlearn and ULRs Community Learning Fund Neighbourhood learning Informal adult learning consultation Employer Training pilots ‘October’ T2G flexibilities QCF Adult advancement and careers service HE widening participation, FE being able to award degrees Increasing focus on professionalisation across learning and skills sector FE capital programme

5. FE College Staff Governors Conference 2008 Concerns Loss of 1.4 million adults from learning. Not all informal adult learning. Abolition of bit sized courses a mistake. Can’t afford now so many disengaged from learning. 7% cut in LSC FE 19+ budget Train to Gain: too blunt a tool perhaps necessary in early days but insufficient for recession. Not asking enough of employers. Recognise value of October flexibilities but need more for the recession Not have money taken out of adult learning for T2G not spent and then put to HE Fee rises: need to recognise that may be loss of learners from level 3+ programmes which can mean not the programmes for unemployed adults to infill on Development funding cuts: hitting necessary low level programmes. Again recognise that cuts not as bad this year as envisaged but still a problem

6. FE College Staff Governors Conference 2008 Concerns ctd: Informal adult learning consultation: concerns about what it might be used for by SoS less committed to IAL. Especially in services that have experienced cuts for almost 30 years. Concerns about seeming equivalence between watching TV or surfing the Internet and tutored programmes. Role of practitioner. Concerned about potential role back of professionalism. Not harking back to golden age but to work that was in full progress until cut off at the knees by Thatcherism. Concerns about equality and access; concerns about quality assurance. Safeguarded Budget flat lined since 2005 ESOL: impact of fee rises. Saw drop in numbers 2006-7(from PQ) still not got figures for 2007-8 the year of fees increases Machinery of Government changes: impact on colleges – fragmentation, untimely in current situation

7. FE College Staff Governors Conference 2008 Looking forward working with Dept and Govt. on the learning response to recession across broad front: not only skills but also continuing engagement in learning (where informal adult learning can help) and social and community cohesion. Grown up conversations with practitioners: vast reserves of experience of what has worked in previous recessions needed to be drawn on. Completing circle of proposals-implementation- feedback- new proposals. eg October flexibilities needing to be operationalised; feedback from providers going into next step of flexibilities and changes to programmes such as T2G Targets: realise the need but need for some relaxation. If innovation going to be failures from time to time. Shouldn’t be penalised overly for this. Not wasting public money Fiscal measures to promote learning with employers. Tax credits for Investors in People, tax breaks for training taking place in 4 day week or extended shut downs

8. FE College Staff Governors Conference 2008 Looking forward contd: A National Plan for adult learning as recommended by Foster Report Is Train to Gain adding to skills development? Possibility of an element of additonality to Train to Gain to cut out the dead weight and assessing existing skills IAG: obvious need to extend to all gateway opportunities – in workplace and community Informal adult learning: looking forward to White Paper. Windsor excellent start on follow-up. Strong platform for going forward to some structural form for collaboration and co-ordination of IAL at local level. But recognition of that safeguarded budget stretched now to the limits and although there may be some parts of the infra-structural changes that could be introduced for little/no cost other parts will need additional money and not being taken from safeguarded budget. ESOL follow up around local prioritisation