Council-run adult education providers should be eligible for urgent
grant funding in the same way schools and colleges are in order to
scale up the number of courses they deliver remotely, the Local
Government Association says.
Adult learning providers support on average 600,000 people every
year. Council-run providers are already supporting thousands of
adult learners continue their education remotely, but the most
vulnerable, many of whom cannot get online, are at risk of
missing out through no fault of their own.
The LGA is concerned that the Department for Education has
committed to providing emergency funding to colleges and schools
who are financially affected by the coronavirus to cover
unforeseen costs, but no such support is forthcoming for local
authority adult education providers.
Faced with a 50 per cent reduction to adult education budgets
over the last decade, councils already faced the prospect of
reducing provision or winding down their adult learning centres
altogether before the coronavirus crisis.
It said urgent short-term additional funding would free up
councils to support the most vulnerable and could be spent on
making courses and examinations accessible online, including
expanding online content to enable schools to take part, re-train
staff, and equip learners with the necessary kit, such as
tablets.
With unemployment expected to rise as a result of the pandemic,
supporting hundreds of thousands of learners now to learn new
skills and retrain remotely will be an essential part of the
country’s economic recovery in the months ahead.
Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the LGA’s People and Places
Board, said:
“Council-run adult education providers can transform people’s
lives by reducing isolation and loneliness. They also support the
most vulnerable, including the long-term unemployed, or those out
of work due to furlough, redundancy, ill-health or caring
responsibilities to upskill before they join the workforce.
“Adult education is a vital lifeline for learners on lockdown and
will be even more important as the Government looks towards its
economic recovery.
“By not giving adult education providers the same level of
support as schools and colleges, our most vulnerable are at risk
of being left in limbo.
“The Government needs to urgently ensure that councils receive
the financial support they need to continue to deliver courses
remotely and our most vulnerable are not isolated from their
online learning.”
CASE STUDIES
Despite stretched resources, councils are working hard to try and
maintain adult learner services. Examples include:
Central London Forward, a partnership of 12 London boroughs, is
launching ‘Keep London Learning’. This online hub will help
Londoners see what remote Adult and Community Learning courses
are available in their area to: find employment and retraining
opportunities; contribute to their communities and reduce
isolation by promoting well-being, fitness and health; support
their families; and develop the life skills to support them in
the changing economy in the future. The initiative is led by
Lewisham Council with support and funding from the Greater London
Authority.
Adult education staff at Worcestershire County Council are using
their skills to teach amateur clothmakers how to get hands-on in
a nationwide effort to make their own personal protective
equipment form home. Staff in Adult Learning Lewisham are
providing scrubs for NHS staff, mobilising a small army of
volunteers to make and deliver dozens of scrubs to local
hospitals.
Peterborough City Council’s adult education service is developing
an online training package for volunteers in the care sector, and
its tutors in the culinary arts are using their skills to cook
and deliver 200 meals a day to the homeless, adult learners and
care leavers.
Lancashire Adult Learning (LAL) is supporting Lancashire County
Council’s key strategic objectives, including health and
wellbeing, digital skills and employability. Adult learners
referred to LAL by Jobcentre Plus are being supported on a
regular basis remotely. The range of support includes CV writing,
online applications and mock telephone interviews. LAL’s
Employability Team is also working with major supermarkets and
food supply chain employers to scope out employment opportunity
for adult learners. LAL also said a significant number of their
learners live alone, and the lockdown has had an impact on their
mental health. As well as improving their digital skills,
telephone support is crucial as many learners do not have access
to the internet at home.
NOTES TO EDITORS
There has been a 3.8 million drop in adult learners since 2010,
with 33 per cent of adults on courses or in training – a record
low since figures began in 1996. For more information visit the
LGA’s latest release on adult learners here.
For more information on the number of adult learners visit the
Further Education Trust for Leadership’s report, here.
For more information on the impact on employment, visit the
Office for Budget Responsibility’s coronavirus analysis, here.
The Government’s guidance on financial support for schools to
cover unforeseen costs associated with the coronavirus can be
found here.
