3 April 2008

Re – arranging the deck chairs or just some essential back office changes; what is the latest re – arranging of the furniture in the learning and skills system all about? Initial reactions to the recent White Paper have been mixed. “Will there be conflicts and a bureaucratic nightmare?” wondered Peter Kingston in the Education Guardian. “It’s a bit like splitting up British Rail into many smaller units. There is going to be a lot of time spent on boundary issues,” the verdict of David Collins, President of the Association of Colleges (AoC.) For those seeking to understand the changes, three questions stand out: why, how much is changing and is it for the better?

The why question first where three reasons stand out.

First, and quite simply, the Government feels it’s time for a change. The learning and skills system has been around seven years, not a bad survival rate for a modern agency, but now we have a new(ish) Government with two new(ish) education departments looking for a new momentum. The Government has been quick to point out that “the current landscape has worked well and the LSC has hit all the targets Government set it,” suggesting that the system isn’t broke but simply in need of an oil change. Secondly, new policy drivers are in place prompting the need for different organisational structures: these include at 14 - 19, the compulsory participation age, a standardised qualification offer, a common funding system, a regional planning framework and the integration of services under a long – term Children’s Plan; and post – 19, Leitch skill targets, a new qualification and credit framework, employer ordered provision and training, a demand – led funding system and growing integration between skills and employability. In effect two separate systems have emerged removing the need for the integrated model built around the LSC. Thirdly, the age of the big enabling agency is drawing to a close, regional and sub – regional planning is in and subtler promptings are at work: local collaboration at 14 – 19, closer co – operation between DIUS and DWP post – 19 to name but two. The Impact Assessment Paper highlights some of these promptings in more detail, “the advent of Skills Accounts and the growth of Train to Gain sees a radically different model of organisation of the skills system where the role of the Government is to ensure that customers are empowered, well – informed and well – supported, so that demand can lead supply.” It’s about enabling a demand – led system to take shape.

Secondly, just how much is changing? Some of this is difficult to quantify at present because it’s cultural and long – term: new demand systems, new funding drivers, new ways of working and so on, but at a machinery level, the amount of change looks pretty vast. Worryingly this is happening just as some of the biggest curriculum reforms for some time are being introduced. A quick look down the inventory of bodies and agencies operating in the learning and skills system and the changes lined up for them illustrates the point. This is how it looks:

• Adult Advancement and Careers Service: promoted by Leitch, trialled later this year, in place by 2010/11, housed under the Skills Funding Agency

• Commission for Employment and Skills: conceived in Leitch, fully operational from April, advising Government on skills and employment strategy, responsible for re – licensing SSCs

• Connexions: transfer to Local Authorities from April, responsible for ‘impartial’ advice and guidance, part of integrated youth services

• Employment and Skills Boards: employer led Boards bringing together regional economic and skill activity, leading model in London, will be ‘supported by’ the Skills Funding Agency

• Jobcentre Plus: working closely with the LSC and then new Skills Funding Agency on the integration of the skills and employment agenda

• Learning and Skills Council: due to close from 2010, working closely with Local Authorities and others to manage the transition, shadow sub – regional arrangements due in place from Jan 2009

• Local Authorities: lead strategic role, responsible for 14 – 19 entitlement, provision for young people, commissioning of 16 – 19 provision

• National Apprenticeship Service: announced under recent Apprenticeship Strategy, overall responsibility for Apprenticeships, will sit within the LSC then transfer to the Skills Funding Agency

• National Employer Service: currently under the LSC, supports large scale (5000+) employers, will take a lead on the Skills Pledge, Apprenticeships, Train to Gain for large employers under the Skills Funding Agency

• Offender Learning and Skills Service: currently planned and funded by the LSC, will come jointly under the Skills Funding Agency and the new National Offender Management Agency

• QCA: about to re-structure into a new independent regulator, development agency and committee for approval of 14 – 19 qualifications

• RDAs: working closely with Local Authorities on regional economic strategies, helping ensure commissioning plans meet local needs

• Regional Planning Forum: sub - regional grouping of Local Authorities, RDA, Government Office, Skills Funding Agency, Young People’s Learning Agency to agree 16 – 19 commissioning plans

• Sector Skills Councils: responsible for sector skill priorities but managed by the new Commission and being re – licensing during the second half of 2008

• SSDA/NEP: replaced from April 08 by the Commission for Employment/Skills

• Skills Funding Agency: the new executive Agency to take over from the LSC in 2010, post – 19 remit, operational role to allocate funds to providers according to purchasing choice, will manage the development of the FE service, work closely to DIUS, set the ‘trading conditions’ for provision

• Young People’s Learning Agency: a small agency providing budgetary supervision and strategic support for Local Authority 16 – 19 commissioning plans and the commissioning of 16 - 19 FE provision

Finally, is this all for the better? Three worries stand out at present. First, the planning cycle around 16 – 19 provision looks complex and ponderous; three tiers of institutional, local and regional dialogues – and all this for a learning stage that needs speedy tailored solutions. Second, how far does a dividing line at 19 re – define FE; will colleges pull up the drawbridge on 14 – 19 and go for the post – 19 skills agenda? Third, the sales pitch may be de – regulation but with the LSC sub divided into 4 bodies and the QCA into 3, it doesn’t feel very de – anything.

© Edexcel Policy Watch 2008. Steve Besley is General Manger of Education Policy at Edexcel. Policy watch is a service intended to help busy people understand developments in the world of education. Visit Edexcel at www.edexcel.org.uk