Opposition support for adult learning Friday, February 13, 2009 - 10:50

The recent announcements from the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, repeated by David Willetts, of a commitment to increase spending of £100 million on adult and community learning have been warmly welcomed by NIACE (the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education).

Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, said:

"There is clearly an emerging consensus for adult learning. The Conservatives have promised an extra £100million and the Liberal Democrats have matched that. And we've every hope that the government's imminent Informal Adult Learning strategy will move in a similar direction."

Responding to the release of figures from David Willetts MP on the 1.3 million fewer adult learners, Alan Tuckett added:

"Government policy for lifelong learning is well-intentioned but lacks balance, and the price is paid by the least confident adults. No one can argue with the Government's aspiration to strengthen skills in the workplace, nor with their hope to stimulate greater employer investment in low-skilled workers.

"However the net effect of major shifts in the balance of public investment has been the loss of 1,400,000 adult learners from publicly funded provision as community based courses have been cut to release funds to subsidise business investment in workplace skills. Opportunities to learn computers skills and languages have been decimated."

"Yet the Labour Force Survey shows that despite Government's flagship Train to Gain programme there is an overall decline in the numbers of workers receiving training. And whilst there has been some growth in self-organised learning, take up is limited to confident and affluent adults. What the recession makes absolutely clear is that we need opportunities for learning at work and outside it alike, and we need public investment."