10.36 We have already welcomed the proposed establishment of Individual Learning Accounts contributed to by Government, employers and individuals: they have potentially great merit. However, they should not be used to shift responsibility for learning entirely to the individual. Moreover, it has to be recognised that many low paid workers would have great difficulty in contributing cash to an account and should be able to contribute 'in kind'. The existence of Individual Learning Accounts should not lead to a situation where those who already benefit most from learning and who can afford to contribute to an account, become the main beneficiaries from a new approach to workplace learning.
10.37 We recommend that Individual Learning Accounts should be available for all people in employment, targeting those in SMEs, those with the lowest levels of skill and the self-employed. In implementing the scheme Government should:
10.38 Another simple addition might be to provide every individual with a learning entitlement of free provision up to the equivalent of NVQ level 3. Learning above that level, which does not fall into the first or second category of learning described in paragraph 10.5 above, requiring some contribution from the individual.
10.39 Government support to employers and individuals could also take the form of tax breaks, tax credits, recovery of VAT, Schedule 'D' reform for the self- employed as well as direct payments into Individual Learning Accounts.
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