Written question asked by John Hayes (Conservative) on Monday, 30 January 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 February 2006. It was answered by Bill Rammell (Labour) on Monday, 6 February 2006 on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills.

University for Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made towards the establishment of the University for Industry included in the Government's 1997 manifesto; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: Ufi (initially called the ““University for Industry””), the organisation responsible for learndirect, has successfully pushed the boundaries of learning methods, by making innovative use of technology to make learning more flexible. It is the largest Government supported e-learning initiative in the world, and provides high quality learning for the post-16 learning and skills sector. It particularly reaches those with few or no skills and qualifications who are unlikely to participate in more traditional forms of learning.In eight years Ufi has grown from an idea to an organisation providing 500,000 learners a year with the opportunity to improve their skills at either a learndirect centre, or from work, or from their home computer. Through its national advice line it has dealt with over seven million calls. Almost 200,000 small and medium sized employers have also used learndirect services.

Secondary information