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Some details about the much-awaited FE white paper, to be published later this morning. The challenges that it looks set to target are longstanding indeed but the labour market crisis we’re currently in, & economic change coming down the pipeline, make these even more important.
First up, employers having a greater role in designing technical courses for those 16+. Give decline in big sectors like retail, recent crash in hospitality & perennial productivity concerns, policy to grow sectors like green econ, advanced mfg, etc. are welcome.
Designing courses is one thing, helping students (and esp. adults) onto them is another. And this will be key: lower-qualified adults are more likely to work in sectors that have either suffered longer-term decline or felt the effects (even if temporary) of Covid restrictions.
That’s where funding comes in. Last year, the Gov’t (rightly) announced plans to make some Level 3 courses free for adults who don’t already have one. But lots of adults with a Level 3 have long been in poor quality work, & since Covid, many now will be in struggling sectors.
So it’s key that policy focused on retraining doesn’t include strict eligibility restrictions based what a person might have studied at age 17. Support for students living costs is key too: so am keen to see whether maintenance support has made the cut.
Lots to play for during such a critical time – look forward to reading the paper.
