Working Together
Chapter 4 Section 8

4.42 All of our proposals are aimed at improving the skills, creativity and employability of our people, young and old, and at promoting a fair society in which all have a stake. We cannot realise these goals unless we join together to do so. The Government's role will be to provide a lead so that everyone is clear about their responsibilities and focuses on setting and meeting agreed targets.

4.43 Local authorities will play a major role in helping to carry forward learning throughout life. Local authorities act as providers, co-ordinators and supporters of lifelong learning in many different ways. We will be consulting with the Local Government Association about how the contribution of local authorities can best be focused, including through Education Development Plans and strategic planning with other major partners.

Local action

4.44 Local challenges need local solutions. We will not lay down a blueprint from the centre. However, we do see three priorities for all areas and therefore propose:

  • to ask TECs to develop local workforce development plans;

  • to encourage sensible local planning. We will work with the FEFC, the Local Government Association and local partners to develop more coherent planning and funding arrangements in post-16 education. We will establish a new Collaboration Fund which will help further education colleges to work with each other, and with other post-16 providers, to develop more cost-effective and relevant provision;

  • to encourage every community to develop its education potential, involving all types of learning institutions. We will consult on how to invite LEAs, further education and others to do this. We will want to draw on best practice including the current pilots funded by the FEFC following the Kennedy report.

4.45 We will continue to support the recent rapid growth in the numbers of towns, cities and other communities which have committed themselves to learning through work with the Learning Cities Network, and will explore how we can extend that support to smaller towns and rural communities.

  • 4.46 As the University for Industry develops and the National Grid for Learning spreads progressively out from schools, local partnerships will be crucial to their effective impact on the ground. The development of local learning centres in communities, in institutions and at the workplace will be a key aspect of the University for Industry.

    The Regions

    4.47 The new Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) will play an important role - working with partners - in developing the Learning Age. In drawing up their economic strategies, RDAs will: help tackle skill shortages and identify future skill needs; support local partnerships through the Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund and integrate regeneration with economic development; engage further and higher education in their work; ensure that regional economic and labour market trends influence decisions about training and careers advice and guidance; and design inward investment packages, including support for learning.

    Working Internationally

    4.48 We will aim to put our vision of the Learning Age at the heart of thinking in the European Union. Following the European Year of Lifelong Learning in 1996, the UK Presidency in the first half of 1998 is an important opportunity to link the need for learning to employability. We want to work with our European partners to ensure that the new generation of EU education, training and youth programmes from the year 2000 onwards reflect this. We will host a wide range of events to raise the profile of lifelong learning during our Presidency. We will also promote initiatives aimed at young people, including:

    • developing measures to benefit apprentices and other trainees;

    • supporting the very large number of UK organisations funded under the EU Telematics Education and Training programme;

    • hosting our Second Chance School aimed at bringing people back into learning; and

    • greeing a new European Voluntary Service programme for young people.

    4.49 The European Social Fund (ESF) and other European initiatives make a major contribution to lifelong learning. In particular, the ADAPT Programme has provided support for trans-national pilot projects focusing on training delivery within small and medium-size enterprises. The ESF has also allocated £1.3 billion for the period 1997-1999 to the Objective 3 programme which targets disadvantaged groups and funds projects to help increase their skill and qualification level.

    4.50 The Government is determined to make the best use of potential European funding for lifelong learning. This includes:

    • agreeing a new programme under Objective 4 to use European Social Fund money to support our policies including the University for Industry, Investors in People and Individual Learning Accounts;

    • using funds drawn from elsewhere in the European Social Fund to tackle skills development, outreach and investment in learning-poor communities;

    • negotiating to use ADAPT programme money to provide development projects with a trans-national flavour for the University for Industry; and planning to allow projects for 16-19 year olds and under the New Deal to be able to draw in ESF money to increase their range of activity; and

    • negotiating to ensure that the new generation of EU education, training and youth programmes from 2000 onwards offer coherent and strategic support for lifelong learning.

    • On-line Consultation
    Q. What areas should the next generation of EU programmes support?

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