As the government unveils its White Paper into further education
and the importance of vocational skills, the Social Mobility
Commission has broadly welcomed the proposals.
These include a lifetime skills guarantee for those seeking the
vocational equivalent of A-Levels.
But the commission wants the government to commit to extra
long-term funding to ensure schools and colleges can plans for
the long term.
Alastair Da Costa, Commisionner for Adult Skills and Further
Education, said:
“We are pleased that the government has put further education,
skills and employer engagement at the heart of its education
programme.
“This commission launched in an FE college as a signal of the
importance of the sector for social mobility and our commitment
to it.
“Several of the initiatives outlined in today’s White Paper on
post-16 education have been previously proposed by the commission
and we are delighted they have been taken forward.
“We particularly welcome the Secretary of State’s message that
technical qualifications should provide a valuable alternative to
a university degree, creating more choice for students.
Letting people learn when they want to
“And we endorse the government’s decision to commit to a lifetime
skills guarantee with entitlements for those seeking their first
Level 3 (A level equivalent). This will offer 400 fully funded
courses from April to adults without A levels or the equivalent.
“We also welcome the drive to place employers at the core of the
programme so that they can shape training and vocational
qualifications to help fill skills gaps, as well as the effort to
improve the quality of FE teaching and to allow flexibility in
student loans - letting people learn when they want to.
“Employers will be fully engaged in designing the courses and
will focus on a localised approach to support skills needed in
the community.
“If employers work more closely with local schools and colleges
this might also allow more individuals to stay where they grew up
rather than moving away to get a better job.
“However, extra long-term resources will be key to the success of
these schemes. They cannot just be a sticking plaster to address
the immediate devastating impact of COVID on jobs and training.
“They need be fully funded as part of a multi-year financial
settlement for FE allowing colleges and young people to plan for
the future. The commission has long campaigned for a student
premium for those aged 16-19 which would particularly help
disadvantaged students and calls on the government to commit to
this in its next spending settlement.
Concerns over those from poorer backgrounds
“We would also have liked more focus on students from the most
disadvantaged backgrounds who receive the least training as
adults and face more barriers than most.
“We are concerned too that those from poorer backgrounds find it
more difficult to access higher levels of vocational
qualifications and T levels and this still needs to be addressed.
“The flexibility introduced by the white paper is a step in the
right direction and it can go further.
“The package goes a long way to ensuring that skills will be
better linked with jobs in the future. We hope that those from
the poorest backgrounds, who are being penalised most during this
pandemic, are put at the centre of its delivery.”
