Further education bodies call for Budget investment

In a joint letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, ten bodies representing further education staff, students and providers have called for extra funding to ensure a “stable and well-resourced further education sector” which can meet different needs and ambitions. The letter, sent ahead of the Budget on 22 November, warns that cuts have reduced the availability of learning opportunities for young people and adults, leading to the loss of over a million adult learners and thousands of staff from the sector in recent years. It goes on to welcome additional spending on technical education, but says that “investment in technical learning alone is not sufficient to reverse the impact of these cuts or to meet the country’s skills needs”. It urges government to fund a wider range of opportunities to help people progress “into higher level learning or employment, build confidence and resilience, develop basic skills or return to education in later life”. The letter is co-signed by the University and College Union, UNISON, the Association of Colleges, the National Union of Students, the Association of School and College Leaders, the National Education Union, Holex, the Third Sector National Learning Alliance, the Learning and Work Institute and Voice. David Prentis, general secretary of UNISON, said: “Years of underfunding have created a harsh financial climate that’s forced colleges to merge, shed staff and limit courses simply to survive. If the UK is to have a ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release budget further education government Source Type: news