Skills Minister John Hayes launches Skills Strategy and Further Education and Skills Funding System Consultations

Skills Minister John Hayes announced two consultations yesterday. Skills for Sustainable Growth outlines BIS’s vision for skills and explores some key areas where we would like to seek further views and A Simplified Further Education and Skills Funding System and Methodology which seeks views on simplifying the funding system.

Employers, individuals, colleges, training organisations and representative organisations are asked to share their ideas on how they would like skills policy to be set out in the future.

Consultation opened on 22 July 2010 and responses will be received until 14 October 2010.

We would welcome your support in raising awareness of the consultation to encourage response.

Independent Review of Fees and Co-funding in Further Education published

The final report of an Independent Review of Fees and Co-funding in Further Education in England contains recommendations for a series of simple but powerful shifts in funding of education for adults in this country. The Review was undertaken by Christopher N Banks CBE, with representatives of employers, adult learners, colleges, training providers and others with an interest in adult education.

Click here to read more about the review

ITT Fee Grant Goes Ahead

Ministers have confirmed that a non means tested Fee Grant of £400 will be available in 2010/11 to support those teachers, tutors and trainers commencing Diploma level ITT qualifications on a Part Time basis from September 2010. The Institute for Learning (IfL) will be responsible for administering distribution of the grant. More details are included here

Online basics pilot results published

The evaluation of the Online basics pilot is now available to view on the BIS website. The results show that learners found the course useful and interesting, and there is evidence that it has a positive impact on continuing with learning and job prospects. The evaluation can be found here , along with information on funding for Online basics, and how it links to the work of Martha Lane Fox, the Government’s Digital Champion, who launched her Manifesto for a Networked Nation on 12 July.

Look out for next weeks launch of Ambition 2020: World Class Skills and Jobs for the UK (2010)

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills will publish the 2010 edition of Ambition 2020: World Class Skills and Jobs for the UK on Wednesday 28 July. This is the second annual assessment of the progress the UK has made towards becoming a world leader in productivity, employment and skills by 2020. The report provides a sound evidence base for the strategies and policies to fulfil this ambition. The report will be available from the UK Commission website www.ukces.org.uk.