New Department presents challenge Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 18:35

The decision on June 5 to establish a new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) presents a challenging opportunity to place adult learning at the heart of Government.

The new department will be created by merging the Departments for Innovation, Universities and Skills and for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Its key role, under the leadership of First Secretary, Lord (Peter) Mandelson, will be to build Britain's capabilities to compete in the global economy.

This will include learning at and for work, but NIACE believes that this must be within a sophisticated analysis of how the contribution of education and training to economic and social change can be maximised.

NIACE's Chief Executive, Alan Tuckett, said:

"The new department has a vital role in helping the UK move out of recession and build a sustainable, resilient and knowledge-based economy. Adult education and training have real potential to contribute to many topics within this agenda and NIACE is looking forward to the challenge.

Both inside and outside the paid workforce, all adults want better lives and want to contribute to a secure and prosperous society. Learning can help them do this. As always, NIACE will point out that policies must not ignore the vulnerable and marginalised - and that the UK cannot afford to neglect the capacity and talents of any of its citizens.

As effective responses to the epidemic of poor mental health illustrate, learning that helps adults develop confidence and capability can be taken back to the workplace and is no less important than qualifications.

Similarly, there is a chance for the new department to re-frame policies for learning, work and wider civic activity in later life in the light of Britain's changing demographic profile and also to re-examine how best to encourage and motivate people to use learning to change their lives for the better.

We will press the new department to take an expansive and inclusive perspective which balances the needs of businesses with those of individual adults and balances regional agendas alongside those of industrial sectors."

NIACE recognises that there is a risk that the wider benefits of learning beyond skills acquisition could lose visibility. It will be a key challenge for the new department to recognise that education of all sorts can act as a catalyst for the range of social and economic changes needed for success beyond the recession.