Regulation in the adult education sector Thursday, September 9, 2010 - 09:52

BBC One's The One Show featured a story about learners who have been left without a course after their private training provider went into administration.

Richard Spear, NIACE Director for Wales, who featured on the BBC programme, said:

"Taking into account the situation that learners, like Dwayne who featured on The One Show, have found themselves in, calling for regulation of the private sector may appear like an appropriate response. However, NIACE believes that the costs involved may outweigh any benefits, given the diversity and size of the adult learning sector. A less costly option might be a voluntary quality assurance scheme, existent in other sectors."

"Although there is no regulatory body for privately funded learning, individuals can still contact their local Trading Standards Office or the Citizen's Advice Bureau for advice and guidance if things go wrong."

"It is undeniable that undertaking a course can have an extremely positive effect on people's lives, so people should not let this story put them off learning. Examples of bad experiences concerning private training provision are quite rare and many private and voluntary organisations deliver high quality learning opportunities outside the control of the state."

"NIACE's advice to those interested in taking up qualifications is to look out for courses awarded by recognised bodies, such as City & Guilds, Edexcel and OCR. People can also access independent learning and careers advice by calling the free Government helpline on 0800 100 900 or by contacting their nearest college, library or local authority."