Protect adult learners in Budget Monday, March 22, 2010 - 10:25

At a time when adult learning providers, including colleges and universities, are facing huge cuts in funding, Alan Tuckett, Chief Executive of NIACE, is urging the Chancellor to recognise the importance of adult students, in the Budget, especially at such a crucial time in the economic recovery.

Alan Tuckett, said:

"There is no doubting the need for a prudent Budget, however in an ageing society modest spending on learning saves significant healthcare costs and cuts in adult budgets end up costing the country more, yet year after year there are fewer learning opportunities for adults. The overall effect of this has been devastating, as government has shifted funding from provision responsive to local and individual needs towards employer-focused provision."

"In a society facing the challenge of an ageing demography, keeping and skilling older people at work is as important as offering chances to young people. We need to create a knowledge-based economy where the capacity to learn is critical, and given the government's ambitions for further and higher education, these short-sighted cuts beggar belief."