After the White Paper:A Big Conversation Event

Alastair Thomson June 2006

222

Why a conversation?

Less choice Higher fees Fewer jobs Fewer adult learners

333

A successful economy Loss of capacity A new settlement Constructive engagement

444

Productivity + Productivity + CompetitivenessCompetitiveness

Social Social InclusionInclusion

The challenge for Lord Leitch

How to get both?

555

‘We remain strongly committed to learning for personal fulfilment, civic participation and community development and are taking steps to strengthen the range, and quality of such provision …

but there will increasingly be an expectation that individuals should pay for this kind of provision where they can afford to do so.’

666

Learning for Personal and community development £210 million safeguard (but only to

2008) includes: £153 million for personal and

community development learning £38 million for family literacy,

language and numeracy and wider family learning

£19 million for neighbourhood learning in deprived communities

777

Worth paying for? tap dancing/lap dancing flower arranging (Conservatives 1992) Australian cake decorating (Phil Hope 2005) Indian head massage Willow weaving Pilates (Alan Johnson 2006) Plumbing Physics History (Charles Clarke) tai chi

888

Who should pay what? 1NIACE survey on fees: for every £10 of cost

Tax payer Employers Individuals

Skills for LifeLevel 2Vocational Personal development

3.793.281.490.92

2.462.475.060.84

3.754.253.458.24

Government Employers Individuals

Skills for LifeLevel 2Vocational Personal development

5.834.872.491.25

1.571.814.490.73

2.603.323.018.02

999

Who should pay what? 2 current learners think individuals should pay a smaller

proportion

older people think the individual should pay more

women think employers should pay a higher proportion

A/Bs want more taxpayer investment, except for personal development

Yet under-represented groups report fees as a barrier to participation

101010

What’s the issue? A flawed law? Problems of success? Tough spending round ahead? Excesses of a target culture? Wrong(ly applied) priorities Loss of vision? Unintended consequences? What sort of a society do we want?

111111

What can we expect? Queens’ Speech (November 2006?) Leitch to report (with PBR?)(Late

November/early December 2006) FE Bill introduced (early 2007?) Legislation passed (summer 2007?)

+ Labour leadership change?+ Comprehensive Spending Review?

121212

LSC-funded FE 19 plus (excluding ACL)

2004/5 out turn 3,096,853

2005/6LSC estimate

out turn

2,760,000

2,601,979

2006/7LSC estimate

out turn

2,306,487

?

131313

LSC funded FEBetween 1 October 2004 and 1 October 2005

overall 5.3% reduction in numbers under 19s up 4.4% 19+ down 9% 30 + every age cohort down 45-49 down 16% 55-59 down 18.4% 60+ down 23.8% adults on full level 2 up 3.4% adults on full level 3 up 6.8% Skills for Life down 5.8% part-time learners down 10%

141414

Current /recent participation in adult Current /recent participation in adult learning, by socio-economic classlearning, by socio-economic class

58

50

41

27

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Percentage

AB C1 C2 DE

Base: all respondents

151515

Current /recent participation in adult Current /recent participation in adult learning, by agelearning, by age

82

68

49 48 4434

1910

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Percentage

17-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+

Base: all respondents

161616

Participation in learning, minority ethnic Participation in learning, minority ethnic groups compared (adults aged 16+)groups compared (adults aged 16+)

67

72

71

78

68

5043

7873

71

0 20 40 60 80 100

Other

Mixed ethnic origin

Bangladeshi

Pakistani

Indian

Chinese

Black Caribbean

Black African

All minority ethnic groups

All repondents

Base: all adults 16+ = 100%

171717

The economic case

181818

UK population changesUK population changes

The third age is growing dramatically!

05,000

10,00015,00020,000

25,00030,000

1998 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021Over 55s increase from 25% to 33% of population

(Thousands)

65+55-6415-24

Source: Office of National Statistics, 2001

Age

191919

-1,000 -500 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000

Whole workforce

Elementary Occupations

Machine & Transport Operatives

Sales & Customer Service

Personal Service

Skilled Trades

Admin, Clerical & Secretarial

Assoc Professional & Technical

Professionals

Managers & Senior Officials

(Thousands)New growth/decline Overall demand

Source: DfES, Working Futures National Report 2003-04, IER, 2004

Recruitment requirements 2002 - 2012Recruitment requirements 2002 - 2012

13,504

202020

Future intentions to learn, Future intentions to learn, by learning statusby learning status

89

10

71

2533

63

15

83

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Percentage

Current Recent Past Never

Likely to learn Unlikely to learn

Base: all respondents who have finished full-time education

212121

NIACE’s 8 groupsNIACE’s 8 groups part-time and temporary workers those employed in businesses which are “cool to training” workers aged 45+ who are too often neglected when it

comes to training and development migrants women – especially from ethnic minority communities

culturally resistant to high levels of female employment outside the home

people currently on welfare benefits ex-offenders adults with literacy levels at and below ‘entry level 2’

and the existing workforce needs to strengthen skills

222222

The wider case

232323

Wider benefitsWider benefits prolongs active citizenship inhibits onset of Alzheimer’s and

Parkinson’s learners 13% more likely to give up smoking learners 34% increase in racial tolerance learners much less likely to be politically

cynical learners less dissatisfied with their lives

242424

Learning has these impacts

whatever your prior education whatever your social class

252525

Four Questions• What principles should determine how limited

amounts of public funding are best used?• What should employers pay for – and what

should be the balance between regulation and persuasion?

• How much should individuals be expected to contribute to their learning? How much should this vary by level or subject?

• What has the government got right and where do you fear it’s going wrong?

262626

‘As well as securing our economic future, learning has a wider contribution. It helps make ours a civilised society, develops the spiritual side of our lives and promotes active citizenship. Learning enables people to play a full part in their community. It strengthens the family, the neighbourhood and consequently the nation. It helps us fulfil our potential and opens doors to a love of music, art and literature. That is why we value learning for its own sake as well as for the equality of opportunity it brings’

David Blunkett

272727

How to help Constituency MPs Ministers Local councillors LSC regional directors Chairs of local LSCs – and trade unionists on

LLSCs Journalists – print and broadcast Bloggers Unions and community groups

19 September 2006