Latest News: December 2006

Learning for a change in healthcare

NIACE has welcomed the publication of the Department of Health report ‘Learning for a Change in Healthcare’. NIACE is especially supportive of the core theme that widening participation is vital to the effectiveness of the National Health Service. Following the recent policy discussions into the skills required for the future UK workforce – in particular the debate that has followed the publication of the final report of the Leitch Review of Skills - this report is extremely timely. The National Health Service is the largest employer in Europe and the report’s focus on widening participation has important lessons for all kinds of workforce training and development across the UK.

NIACE expects to make a formal response to this discussion document in 2007 and urges other interested parties to do the same.

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Leitch Podcast

Five speakers from NIACE's recent Annual Policy Conference - Skills, Demography and the British Economy - discuss the publication of the Leitch Review of Skills.

The speakers are:

To download the podcast, click on the link below.  If it does not automatically start playing, save the file onto your computer and then play it back through your usual media player.

See also:

> NIACE's response to the Leitch Review of Skills
> The final report of the Leitch Review of Skills is available here on the HM Treasury website.
> NIACE conference: Skills, Demography and the British Economy - The Leitch Review of Skills in the UK
> Other NIACE Podcasts

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ALW Awards - online nominations system launched

NIACE is pleased to announce that we are now able to accept nominations for the Adult Learners' Week 2007 Awards online as well as in the traditional paper formats. We want to hear about learners whose stories are motivating and inspirational.  Use the link below to access the online system and please read the instructions carefully.

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Employers must rise to the challenge - NIACE welcomes Leitch recommendations

The final report of the Leitch Review of Skills 'Prosperity for all in the Global Economy: World Class Skills', – published on 5 December 2006  - has been welcomed by NIACE; particularly the recommendations that government should embed a culture of learning, support a strengthened careers service for adults in England and radically improve the target for literacy, language and numeracy.

Despite this there is insufficient attention given to those marginalised in or excluded from labour markets.

The Leitch report proposes that adult vocational education in England be re-routed by 2010 via an extension of the employer-led Train to Gain initiative and through learner accounts.

Following its initial reaction, NIACE has now consulted with members of its policy committee and has released a more detailed response which includes four things to welcome and four serious concerns.  The response can be viewed by following the link below:

See also:

> The final report of the Leitch Review of Skills is available here on the HM Treasury website.
> NIACE conference: Skills, Demography and the British Economy - The Leitch Review of Skills in the UK

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Let Adults Learn

NIACE is one of 32 organisations to have signed a letter sent to the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer. The letter, sent ahead of this week's pre-budget report and the publication of Lord Leitch's Review of Skills, stresses that failure to support adults to learn will have serious social and economic consequences.

Press release follows:

Failure to support adults to learn will have serious social and economic consequences – a coalition of thirty-two organisations warns Government

The Government’s priorities for post-16 education mean that opportunities for adults to learn are being cut dramatically. The number of people in learning after 19 has fallen by 14% - 200,000 people - in two years. Participation by over 60s in particular has fallen by nearly 25%; half a million college places are being lost; one million are threatened and it is vulnerable, disadvantaged adults who are missing out on opportunities to build new skills and gain qualifications.

Next week Lord Leitch will be publishing his vision of the skills and training essential for the economic and social health of the UK. In advance of his report, a coalition of thirty-two organisations from across the adult learning and voluntary sectors is warning The Chancellor, Gordon Brown, that failure to fund adult learning for all, irrespective of age, social background and particularly those adults with poor educational attainment, will have serious social and economic consequences.

Leslie Morphy, Chief Executive of homelessness charity Crisis, said:

“The Government says it wants to help more people to learn. But the reality is very different. Courses are closing, teachers are being made redundant and the focus on adults achieving vocational qualifications is ignoring what can be achieved through wider learning. Every day we see how giving people the opportunity to learn, try a new activity or develop a skill in the right setting can change their lives. We could do so much more, but the opportunities to do so are being cut back.”

The coalition will stress that learning benefits everyone at each stage of their lives, regardless of previous achievements. Practical skills help homeless people who have no qualifications at all to manage their tenancies. Learning for pleasure promotes independence in old age, for example, delaying or offsetting the onset of Alzheimer’s. In addition, evidence shows that education and training can have a big impact on reducing offending rates.

Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, said:

“Adult learning makes a difference – to the economy of course, to health, well-being, confidence and to our ability to help our children. We cut opportunities at our peril.”

The wider benefits of learning for those most in need actually help the Government deliver its agendas on homelessness, health, in particular mental health, criminal justice, drug and alcohol misuse, independence in older age and social inclusion. If the Government is ever to meet its target of getting 2.3 million people off benefits and back into work, which is costing the tax payer £64 billion each year, then it needs to encourage people to take up learning opportunities at a pace and time that suits them, not cut budgets which means those who have most to gain are losing out.

Adults in particular older people, ethnic minorities, homeless people, ex-offenders and people with disabilities, often learn best in voluntary or community settings, attending short and informal courses on a wide range of subjects. Giving colleges and other providers more freedom to develop courses that respond to learners’ needs and get them interested in further learning has been shown to work. However, the focus on increasing the numbers of adult learners with vocational qualifications equivalent to five GCSEs means that these courses are being cut.

Further Education colleges and the voluntary sector are willing to work together to jointly deliver education opportunities for the most disadvantaged. However, they need the support and resources to do so.

Tricia Hartley, Joint Chief Executive of the Campaign for Learning said:

“Learning is the key to breaking the cycles of poverty and disadvantage. However, people cannot learn in isolation. Investment in learning and skills must take account of the support services that people need while they are learning. Providers are often willing to deliver the flexible courses that meet the needs of vulnerable groups but find that funding streams for initial engagement are limited. It is critical that engaging and flexible routes into learning are defended to ensure appropriate levels of long-term support, particularly for the most vulnerable individuals.”

The coalition is calling on the Government to build on its commitment to provide education to all by:

Lord Leitch said in his Interim Report that the failure to improve the skills of the low skilled “exacerbates social deprivation including poverty, poor health and crime”. The coalition endorses this view, and urges the Chancellor in responding to the Leitch Review to take up the coalition’s recommendations.

For further media information, please contact Phil Power at Crisis on 020 7426 3832 or Stuart Barber on 020 7426 3831 or 07973 372 587 (out of hours).

The list of signatories on the letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer are as follows:

> The letter can be downloaded here - [PDF]

Source: Joint Press Release: "Let Adults Learn" - [PDF] Released On 04/12/2006

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Impact of cuts in adult education - findings published by NIACE

NIACE today (Thursday 30th November 2006) publishes evidence of the widespread concern across the country that cuts in adult education diminish economic opportunity and impoverish the lives of thousands of people, particularly pensioners.

The report – The case for adult learning: access all areas - has been compiled from evidence gathered over the past 6 months through NIACE’s Big Conversation. Adult learners, providers and organisations submitted evidence; attended events and debates; and contacted the media and MPs to voice their overwhelming concerns for the future of adult learning.

The case for adult learning: access all areas describes the purpose, roll-out and impact of the Big Conversation; provides a snapshot of local news coverage about the cuts in adult learning provision; offers a flavour of the responses received from learners and practitioners on a range of topics; cites an array of evidence received at NIACE’s Big Conversation Enquiry; and concludes with NIACE’s view and recommendations.

Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, said:

“A wider range of high-quality learning opportunities will help to transform the lives of adults, their families, neighbourhoods and communities, as well as society as a whole. However, this report illustrates, that there is a distinct risk – through the narrowing of priorities - of limiting access to the wider range of opportunities to those with the deepest pockets. The evidence of NIACE’s Big Conversation is that we need more, not less, adult learning. To secure it will mean increased levels of investment from government, employers and from learners who can afford to pay more.”

He concluded:

“Overall, there are many challenges but what is clear is that NIACE’s Big Conversation alone cannot score a quick win against real cuts. What needs to happen now is the process of winning hearts and minds to better appreciate the public value of a wide range of lifelong learning opportunities for all. Otherwise there is the very real danger of the destruction of a much-valued and essential public service.”

Source: NIACE Press Release: "Impact of cuts in adult education - findings published by NIACE" Released On 30/11/2006

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