The cuts to funding for adult skills in 2015-16 have been widely documented in the last month as the Association of Colleges warns that up to 190,000 adult education places will be lost next year. However, the government has stated that although overall funding is being cut, high quality apprenticeships and English and maths are being prioritised to ensure that learners are literate and numerate, with vocational qualifications of prestige.
At NCFE, we have been working hard to ensure that our popular and valued vocational qualifications have their funding protected and we’re pleased to say that we now have almost 100 funded qualifications available for 15-16 with further qualifications pending approval. These qualifications include courses within Health and Social Care such as Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Dementia Care, Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of the Prevention and Control of Infection in Health Care Settings, as well as substantial qualifications such as Level 1, 2 and 3 Diplomas in Entry to the Uniformed Services and many more.
In particular, we’re delighted to announce that our Entry Level and Level 1 English and maths qualifications have been added to the SFA’s funding catalogue for 2015-16 in their latest update this week. These stepping stone qualifications are fantastic for those learners who have an identified skills gap and need a little extra help achieving their GCSE A* - C or Level 2 Functional Skill. They’re also ideal for colleges and training providers who are looking to tailor their programmes of study to learner needs and offer clear progression routes.
At NCFE, we’re passionate about the value of adult education. In learning, one size doesn’t fit all and it’s important to offer choice and variety, enabling people of all ages to fulfil their potential and progress in their lives to higher education or employment. Vocational qualifications for adults offer important training opportunities that plug skills gaps and help get people into work or retrain for a different career to improve their prospects.
Adult education is particularly integral in an aging population where people are retiring later and having multiple careers within their working life. Equally, adults need to be competent in English and maths to help them to function confidently in their day to day lives, and it’s so important that we’re able to support this development. It’s not just the young who are worth investing in. At NCFE we believe that learning is for life and we hope that our fundable qualifications for 15-16 allow you to support your learners’ journeys.
See the SFA's 2015-16 funding catalogue.
