Get a slice of the £5.5 billion available for improving your skills

April 1st 2001 saw the quiet birth of Learning and Skills Councils (LSCs) across England. It’s surprising how little coverage they’ve received in view of their huge budget and ambitious aims. The £5.5 billion for this year alone is the start of a mission to raise the skills levels of the nation and ensure that, by 2010, we no longer lag behind our competitors. Instead of sitting near the bottom of EU numeracy and literacy league tables, we should by then be able to boast of a population with ‘knowledge and skills matching the best in the world’.

No easy task. Currently, seven million people, 20% of the adult working population, lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. We’ve seen relaxation of immigration requirements to ease the problems of severe skills shortages because there’s simply not enough homegrown talent to fill many jobs. Alongside that there are thousands of frustrated adults who, feeling their jobs are going nowhere, would really appreciate the chance to upgrade their skills and increase their prospects of better job security and financial reward. At the moment, many don’t feel able to do this because they can’t find something to suit them, don’t know what they need, can’t afford the fees or the time or can’t get to the places offering training.

The vision of the LSC is to change all that. For the first time there is a single body coordinating and funding all post-16 training and education up to degree level. This includes work-based training, courses in colleges, adult education and community learning. The remit of the LSC covers six areas:

• Raising participation and achievement by young people
• Increasing demand for learning by adults
• Raising skill levels for national competitiveness
• Improving the quality of training and education delivery
• Equalising opportunities through better access to learning
• Improving effectiveness and efficiency

Next page: have your say

Steve Palmer, Executive Director of the Lancashire LSC, one of 47 local councils, is optimistic about their ability to achieve these aims. ‘Central to our work is the duty to stimulate demand. Learning leads to empowerment. We need to ensure that everyone knows that and can benefit from it. That’s why one of our first tasks is to find out what’s needed – from those who want to learn, from those who’ve never considered themselves as learners and from employers. And we have more horsepower than ever before to provide it.’

For Steve’s area that ‘horsepower’ is £200 million this year. If you want your share of empowerment through learning you have the opportunity to contribute to the current consultation exercise. Contact details for all LSCs are available on www.lsc.gov.uk and they want to hear from you. Because they’re working in partnership with colleges, Careers and Connexions services, Learn Direct and employers they’ll be hearing about unmet demands from them, but there’s no substitute for your contacting them directly and telling them what you want.

If you’re uncertain where to start, or what skills you should be developing, your local Information Advice and Guidance Partnership is the place to visit first. There, adult careers advisers will talk you through the options and set you on the right track. Get details of who and where from your local LSC.

‘We’re here to listen to the voice of the learner, and to encourage those who don’t see themselves as learners,’ says Susan Bickerton, Executive Director of Northumberland’s LSC. Covering a largely rural area, she’s concerned that women in particular are missing out because traditional centres of learning are difficult to get to. She’s committed to providing more opportunities within ‘pram-pushing distance’.

Next page: solutions

One innovation that’s already making an impact is the concept of The People’s House. There are several estates in her region where the council have donated a house that is used as a learning centre. ‘These are all within walking distance of those they’re aiming to help. Using an ordinary house removes much of the fear factor that going into an unfamiliar place like a college can cause.’

Equality of opportunity for all is central to the vision of the LSCs and, as Susan points out, that does not mean offering everyone the same but making sure what you offer suits the needs of the individuals concerned. She’s particularly keen on exploiting the potential of new technologies. ‘E-learning makes a lot of sense in a rural area. It means that people can study where and when they want. We’re developing resources that enable people to access online learning at the heart of their communities: in village halls, local schools and anywhere people can get together. We’re also making use of European global grants to provide family care support. This means women with family responsibilities can take time off to study at no cost to themselves.’

Employers are an essential part of the equation in creating a skilled workforce and they stand to gain a great deal. A recent survey of 800 firms with fewer than 200 staff found that companies who raised their annual training budget by £50 a week increased profits by 11.4% while those that did not saw profits rise by just 6.3%. Bryan Sanderson, national chairman of the LSC, emphasises that investment in training makes good business sense. ‘Some businesses still question the impact of training on the bottom line. This research will pull them up short. They can’t afford not to invest in skills.’

Good news for all of us then. Make sure you get your share.

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