Today, the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and
Instructure have published a new Policy Note: Aligning the
Lifelong Learning Entitlement and the Growth and Skills Levy: how
these policies could work together under a new Government.
The Policy Note, co-authored by Rose Stephenson, HEPI's Director
of Policy and Advocacy, and Nathalie Hulbert, Instructure's
Content Marketing Manager, highlights the need to unify the
Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) and the proposed Growth and
Skills Levy (GSL) policies to support England's evolving
educational landscape.
As demand for skilled workers rises and England's employers look
for more flexible and targeted training solutions, a Commission
of leading experts from across the higher education sector have
examined the policies and recommended a unified approach to
benefit learners, providers, and employers. The report emphasises
the need for flexibility in education and training to equip
learners at every stage of their careers.
Key Findings
- The Lifelong Learning Entitlement and the Growth and Skills
Levy risk being implemented as two stand-alone policies. Urgent
consideration is needed on how these two policies will overlap
and interact.
- These policies span the higher and further education sectors.
Understanding the intertwining nature of these sectors is
essential to the successful implementation of these policies.
- Existing regulatory metrics, particularly continuation and
progression will be impede provision at the modular level and
therefore new measures for evaluating modular outcomes are
needed.
In its current format, the Commission believes the LLE policy
will fail to achieve its goals, and the LLE and GSL risk being
implemented as stand-alone policies rather than complementary
ones. However, if executed well, these reforms have the potential
to tackle the country's worsening skills gaps and levels of
social mobility. The Commission therefore recommends the
following considerations and actions.
Recommendations:
- The Student Loans Company should implement a user-friendly,
lower-burden approach to loan applications for modular study.
- The Office for Students should continue to consider how
modular learning can be regulated appropriately without undue
regulatory burden. This new regulatory framework should be
developed in close collaboration with the sector. The OfS should
also work closely with other further and higher education
regulators to prevent regulatory overlap or contradiction.
- The Department for Education should provide clarity about how
these two funding systems dovetail and, thus, support a seamless
road to lifelong learning.
- The Department for Education should consider developing a
mechanism for employers to fund modular learning in the academic
pathway, allowing the learner to both self-fund and be
employer-funded through their modular learning journey.
- The OfS should encourage the awarding of ‘exit'
qualifications at Levels 4 and 5 during undergraduate degree
study and use these as stepping stones to further study.
Stephan Fortier, Regional VP - UK and Europe, Instructure,
comments:
The future of the UK's economic growth depends on our ability
to bridge the skills gap between education and industry. For
universities to effectively develop and deliver flexible, modular
learning that aligns with industry needs, it's essential that the
new Government establishes clear policies and outlines how all
stakeholder groups will be supported as changes come into effect.
Industry must also support universities and higher education
institutions in leading the national upskilling efforts needed to
meet the demands of a rapidly evolving workforce and drive
economic growth.
Rose Stephenson, co-author of the report, adds:
Our report highlights a critical need for coherence between
the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and the Growth and Skills Levy.
By aligning these policies, we can create a more flexible and
unified pathway for lifelong learning that responds to both
individual career aspirations and the evolving needs of the UK
workforce. This is an opportunity to ensure that funding and
training truly support growth, resilience, and inclusivity in the
labour market.
The Commission calls on the Government, education providers, and
industry to act swiftly to integrate these policies, which have
the potential to unlock new opportunities for lifelong learning
and skills development in the UK.
