The Government has outlined it’s new plans for reform of adult learning and skills provision in England in New Challenges, New Chances, published today. Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, John Hayes, said: “Our proposals describe the next steps towards a more confident, vibrant further education sector, ready to meet the challenges and seize the chances that a rebalanced, high skill economy will present."
They have also launched a consultation into:
- Providing greater freedoms and flexibilities and further reducing the burden of bureaucracy on further education and skills providers;
- Improving the quality of teaching and learning for adults;
- Strengthening further education and skills providers’ capacity to offer training at higher education level;
- Reviewing and improving basic literacy and numeracy provision for adults;
- Refocussing Government support for informal adult and community learning; and
- Introducing loans from the 2013/14 academic year providing access to advanced and higher level courses; and
- Developing the further education landscape and shape of the sector.
The main press release: http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/420821.
Further information from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills:
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=420821&NewsAreaID=2.
The Consultation: http://www.bis.gov.uk/newchallenges.
