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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps have been taken to improve training and skills in Newcastle-under- Lyme since 1997; and if he will list the relevant initiatives. [198727] Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Skills Strategy White Paper (published July 2003) introduced a range of policies to meet shortfalls in skills--especially at Level 2, and in some sector-specific areas at Level 3. These include mechanisms to identify and address sectoral and regional skill priorities, to engage employers better in training and enable providers to be more responsive to employers. The strategy set out our intention to introduce a new entitlement for any adult in the labour force to have access to free tuition for their first full Level 2 qualification. We started trialling the entitlement in the North East and South East regions in September 2004, and will start national roll-out from next year. In September 2003, we started piloting the new Adult Learning Grant (ALG), offering up to £30 per week to adults on low incomes studying full time for a first full Level 2 qualification, and for first Level 3 qualifications for those under 30. We have now extended the ALG trials from 10 pilot regions into the SE and NE regions as part of linked trials of key initiatives announced in the Skills Strategy 18 Employer Training Pilots (ETPs) are testing new financial support measures to improve access to training and enable employees to attain basic and Level 2 skills. As at the end of October 2004, 13,474 employers and 92,987 learners had registered for ETP. Trade unions and their Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) are making a major contribution to the Skills Strategy. After seven years of the Union Learning Fund, a further 46 new projects in 27 unions have been approved to start from April this year. These projects are in both small and large unions and in both public and private sectors. They will provide new learning opportunities for thousands of workers. In the last year alone, the fund helped to encourage over 25,000 workers back into learning. For the economically inactive, we will improve the support to the low-skilled through the New Deal for Skills (NDfS) by creating a new intensive skills guidance service, co-located with Jobcentre Plus where possible, and improving mechanisms of financial support for those for whom training provides a route back to work. Skills for Life, the national strategy for improving adult literacy, language and numeracy skills, was launched in March 2001. It aims to help create a society where adults have the basic skills they need to find and keep work and participate fully in society, thereby increasing the economic performance and social cohesion of the country. So far we estimate that 550,000 adults achieved a qualification in literacy, language or numeracy and current projections show that we are on track to meet the target of 750,000 achievements by July 2004. In terms of participation, it is estimated that 2.3 million learners will have taken up 4.7 million learning opportunities between April 2001 and July 2004. Staffordshire has a Basic Skills Strategy Group with representation from all key partners including colleges, work-base learning providers, Job Centre Plus, probation, voluntary and community sector and the LSC. The partnership is working to improve levels of literacy, numeracy and language across the area. The growing network of UK-wide, employer-led Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) has a key part to play in taking forward these national skills strategies. Each SSC has a key goal of increasing opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in the sector's work force, including taking action on equal opportunities. We recognise that there are variations in the skills base of different regions. This is being addressed by Regional Skills Partnerships which are being established in each region, co-ordinated by Regional Development Agencies and involving LSC, Jobcentre Plus, Small Business Service and Skills for Business Network. They are bringing together skills and work force development with support for innovation and business development and labour market services in an integrated approach to deliver Regional Economic Strategies. The Regional Skills Partnership in the West Midlands will be launched in January 2005. On 10 May the Government announced their intention to put in place a family of apprenticeship programmes to suit a variety of needs from aged 14 upwards. These will include: Junior Apprenticeships for 14 to 16-year-olds, a pre-apprenticeship route within the existing Entry to Employment programme, Apprenticeships at NVQ Level 2, Advanced Apprenticeships at NVQ Level 3 and a strengthened progression route into higher education, including vocational Foundation Degrees. In addition we are developing Apprenticeships for Adults in those sectors with the greatest need. Since April 2001 the Learning and Skills Council has been responsible for the planning and funding of all post-16 learning outside Higher Education. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive, will write to my hon. Friend with information about learning and skills in Newcastle-under-Lyme and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

198727; 426 c2113-4W;426 c2119-20W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Apprentices Further education Employment schemes Training Basic skills Adult learning grant

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk