NIACE response to Skills Funding Statement

NIACE has responded to the Skills Funding Statement, published today by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).
David Hughes, Chief Executive of NIACE, said:
"We welcome the emphasis throughout the Statement on meeting the needs of those people who need the most help to get on in learning and in life. Examples of this include the continued full funding, at higher rates, of English and maths; the commitment to support fair access to apprenticeships for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities; the focus on supporting the skills needs of the unemployed; and the intention to introduce traineeships for those people not yet ready to enter into apprenticeships or work. However, we are concerned about the suggestion that ESOL (English for Speakers of other Languages) learners will ‘progress to Functional Skills in English and GCSE English Language’; NIACE feels ESOL learners need qualifications specifically designed for the second language learner, which are fit for purpose.
"We are also pleased to see that the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is endorsed with a review into the operational issues which have beset it since its inception. This has to be the right approach to making sure that the unitised nature of the QCF can be utilised to support flexibility in learning. The continued support for the Innovation Code is good news as colleges and providers begin to have confidence that they can use it to meet local bespoke needs of both learners and employers.
"We are, of course, pleased that Community Learning funding has been retained and that the funding for the Specialist Designated Institutions will be maintained for the foreseeable future. It is good to see an endorsement of the Community Learning Trust approach currently being piloted - in particular the role that local authorities play in this work.
"The news that, overall, the revenue funding has not been cut further than planned is also welcome. The new injection of capital into FE colleges will have a quick and direct benefit to learners across the country, as will the funding of modern equipment." Read more...