Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and the Greater
London Authority (GLA) will take on more
responsibility to deliver quality adult education in their local
areas from 2019 to 2020 when adult funding is devolved, subject
to agreed readiness conditions.
A transitional year for MCAs will be created
for the 2018 to 2019 academic year to give authorities time to
learn the skills for success, strengthen their relationships with
providers and test out mechanisms before Adult Education Budget
(AEB) devolution
comes fully into force.
There will be a significant step towards devolution, in the
transitional year, giving MCAs (covering Greater
Manchester, West Midlands, Tees Valley, West of England,
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and Liverpool City Region) a
greater role in shaping local area provision, to ensure a smooth
transition and the continued protection of learners.
During the transitional year, the Education and Skills Funding
Agency (ESFA) will continue
to manage the AEB budget nationally, and
will be responsible for calculating AEB allocations and
notifying all providers.
The Department for Education is supporting authorities as they
build sustainable relationships with providers and will continue
to work with them to align national and local policy on adult
education.
These changes were outlined in the Adult Education Budget
Changing Context and Arrangements for 2016 to 2017 and
the Industrial Strategy.
This means that once the MCAs are in receipt of
the AEB, ESFA will be
responsible for only around half the current AEB it currently manages,
giving greater powers to local areas.
More information on devolution (which excludes the delivery of
apprenticeship provision and that associated with employer
delivery, adult traineeship provision or provision for those in
adult detention), will be published early next year.
