NEW HORIZONS The Learning Partnership July 2010

1. NEW HORIZONS The Learning Partnership July 2010 Helen France

2. A New World – What? • Three significant communications recently: • Revised Grant Letter from Vince Cable to the Skills Funding Agency has set out Government’s goals and ambitions for the sector: • “….. Skills are an essential part of creating an advanced and highly competitive economy” • The key ambitions are: • Supporting progression and strengthening the supply of technician level skills, particularly through Level 3 Apprenticeships • Reducing the number of 18-14 year olds who are NEET • Creating opportunities for the unemployed to get the skills needed for work readiness and sustainable employment • Inform and empower individuals and employers through independent careers guidance and the development of Lifelong Learning Accounts • Increased participation in adult and community learning

3. A New World – How? • John Hayes MP announced a range of freedoms and flexibilities for colleges and training providers: • These arrangements are just the start and will free up colleges and training providers to deliver a responsive and flexible offer to learners and employers as required by Vince Cable • They include: • Bringing budgets together for post 19 provision into one pot, a single budget line • Removing Summary Statements of Activity, replacing them with standard cash profiles, colleges and providers determine what to spend the money on to meet the needs of employers and learners • Reduction of in-year reconciliation (none for colleges and quarterly for providers) • Exempt from the single pot – 16-18 Apprenticeships, Offender Learning, Programmes for the Unemployed, ESF and Adult Safeguarded Learning Programmes

4. A New World – Challenge? • George Osborne announced his emergency budget • All this must be achieved against a backdrop of reducing public spending in future years, £17 billion reduction in Departmental spending by 2014/15 • This is an average of 25% across Departments and BIS is big • The main focus is to limit impact on front line services so much of savings will come from infrastructure changes • We will know the real impact following the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) in the Autumn but we do know that this is going to be hugely challenging

5. A New World – The Agency? The policies of the new Government have changed the role of the Skills Funding Agency and the nature of our work Our focus in on funding and regulation (but very soft touch) - We will want to know providers are meeting the needs of employers and learners Our focus is on supporting the sector to achieve more for less Our focus is to limit our intervention and let the market “get on” Our focus is to intervene by exception Our focus is to let the sector assume much greater responsibility and autonomy … for planning, prioritising, quality and self regulation

6. NEW HORIZONS The Learning Partnership July 2010 Mark Williams

7. ESF Overview 01

8. Current Programme • Over £48m has been contracted to date • 30 projects in both priorities • Over 35,000 participants to be engaged • Basic Skills and ESOL to Full Qualifications Levels 2, 3 and 4 • 12 projects are supported under priority 4 to a total of £13.5m • 18 projects under priority 5 to a total of £35.3m, inc: R2R £3.3m

9. LP projects (P4)

10. LP projects (P5)

11. Adding Value toMainstream Enhanced Mainstream Post Pre More

12. Numbers

13. 2011-14 Programme 02

14. Activities that the Skills Funding Agency Plan will support range widely but may include the following areas which fit closely with the integrated themes of the Framework.

15. Skills Funding Agency 2011-14 ESF

16. Investment themes - links to policy • Next Generation Access • Green Cornwall • Newquay Airport • Rural Communities • Best start for Young people • Third Sector • Public Sector Leadership

18. Q & A Session 05