Vocational education following the general election

By: admin

Tuesday 19 May 2015

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The big news of the past month has of course been the General Election – the surprising outcome of which is continuing to be a hot topic of discussion. I’m sure you’ll agree that a majority Conservative government – and the resulting potential impact on the FE sector – was not what most of us were expecting, whatever your political views.

The full details of the Conservatives’ spending plans will be outlined in a spending review, expected to take place in June. However, we’re likely to see further cuts to adult skills funding, which will continue to have a significant impact on our sector. The loss of Liberal Democrat Vince Cable – a key ally as a champion of FE – is a particularly significant blow. Despite the inevitable cuts, we’ve retained funding for many of our important qualifications, and we’re delighted that so many of you have told us that you want to retain or grow this provision.

The Conservatives stated prior to the election that they would be prioritising Apprenticeships, traineeships and English and maths despite further overall funding cuts. We fully support their stance on Apprenticeships and it’s great to see them so high on the agenda, as not everyone is suited to the traditional academic route of higher education.

However, just supporting more Apprenticeships is not enough. Adult education is integral in an aging population where people are retiring later and having multiple careers within their working life, and the potential loss of courses that upskill and keep the UK’s workforce competitive is a major cause for concern. We would really like to see its importance acknowledged with the safeguarding of funding for vocational qualifications, as opposed to a sole focus on apprenticeships.

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Lindsay Plumpton

Communications Leader
96 posts
David Grailey

Chief Executive
79 posts
Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Policy Leader
75 posts
Esme Winch

Managing Director
35 posts
Michael Lemin

Policy and Research Manager
25 posts

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