Learning for every community

Malcolm Wicks, Minister for Lifelong Learning at the DfEE, was the first keynote speaker to address the conference. He told delegates that while the 20th century would be seen as the century of citizenship, democracy and state education, we have to make the 21st century a learning century for everyone, where the notion of the learning city, the learning community, the learning village, the learning town is embedded into every community.

The educational achievements of the last century had been enormous, said Malcolm Wicks, but there are still problems to be tackled. Too many adults are lacking in basic skills and are unequipped to cope in today's complex economy. Too many young people are passing through the education system and still ending up unemployable. The fact that some 170,000 16 to 18 year olds - one in every 11 of this age group - are currently not in education, training or employment shows the scale of the challenge. "We end the 20th century and start the 21st century still with the most extraordinary inequalities in our society, not least in terms of educational opportunity," the Minister commented. This failure to redress inequality must be the spur for action for all of us in the future, he urged.

Malcolm Wicks

Malcolm Wicks then outlined some of the Government initiatives which he hoped would enable everyone to share in educational opportunity. These included the University for Industry, Sure Start and the Connexions Service. This is a new support and guidance service for all 13 to 19-year-olds, which aims to ensure that all young people achieve the most from the learning opportunities available to them.

Skills priority

Work-based training was one area which had been neglected in the past, and the Minister stressed that the provision of skills must become a major priority for all of us, business leaders, politicians and Trade Unions alike. A more radical approach was also needed when it came to adult and community education with more flexibility as to where, when and how this is delivered. Forty per cent of places on the new Learning and Skills Councils would be taken by those with business experience to ensure that the post-16 agenda was driven by the needs of business and by the needs of local communities, he said. The councils will also work closely with Learning Partnerships whose members are often best placed to look at local needs.

"We are truly engaged on a great mission," concluded Malcolm Wicks, "Creating the learning century is the engine for change for our economy, but it is also the great liberator for the individual and it is the thing that can bring dignity back into some of our communities."

It was then the turn of conference delegates to put forward their comments and questions to the Minister. These ranged from funding for learning shops in deprived areas and the role of the Learning and Skills Councils in supporting literacy programmes, to the difficulties of FE funding mechanisms and the promotion of physical and mental well-being amongst older learners. The Minister was challenged on his view that the Further Education sector was currently not responding to the needs of business, while concerns were expressed about the seeming lack of emphasis on skilled tradespeople, those who could create the urban renaissance in physical terms.