Manifesto
General Election 2015
Skills for Prosperity
Building Sustainable
Recovery for All
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
This manifesto urges all of the political parties to forge a new skills
strategy for all which reflects the challenges we face and makes the
most of the opportunities we have as people live longer.
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Introduction
>
This country's education, learning and skills
systems do much to support millions of
children and adults to maximise their talents
and to get on in life. They also, however, fail
to support too many people who could
benefit from learning and who would then
contribute more to our society and economy.
At NIACE we strive to promote learning and
influence policy and practice in order that
there are more opportunities at all ages, and
in many different ways for adults to
participate in learning. The social benefits if
we could achieve a true lifelong learning
society would be profound - stronger
communities, better attainment by children,
a more tolerant society, more volunteering,
better health and higher levels of well-being.
The economic benefits of a lifelong learning
society are also enormous with better and
higher skills investment leading to higher
productivity and more successful businesses.
Our ambition at NIACE is not new; it has
been the explicit aim of successive
Governments for at least the last 20 years.
Through several skills strategies we have
seen failed attempts to deliver a true lifelong
learning culture in this country, and our
people, families, communities employers
and economy are weaker because of those
failures. With an ageing population, a
globalised labour market and new
technologies transforming workplaces, we
need a new paradigm, a new approach
which empowers every adult to take
ownership of their own learning and
development.
Investment in skills is too heavily focused on
young adults, at the expense of people over
the age of 24. Investment in 18-23 year olds
prioritises higher education at the expense
of those in other types of learning and skills
or those not in learning. Educational
outcomes are still too strongly correlated
with socio-economic factors and the truth for
many people is that 'if at first you don't
succeed in education, then you don't
succeed'.
those born in 2000, half will reach their
100th birthday. Access to skills and learning
are vital over such a long period of time for
people to stay healthy, productive and
happy both in work and in retirement.
This manifesto urges all of the political
parties to forge a new skills strategy for all
which reflects the challenges we face and
makes the most of the opportunities we
have as people live longer.
David Hughes
Chief Executive Officer
June 2014
This manifesto seeks a re-balancing of the
focus onto all types of learning - including
formal, non-formal and informal - and for
people of all ages. It offers a vision of a
learner-centred system which gives people
more control of their learning throughout
their lives. Young people entering the labour
market now must expect to work for at least
50 years (perhaps 55 for 18 year olds) and for
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The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
The challenges
>
Patterns of spending by the state and by employers will not
deliver the lifelong learning society we want, nor will they deliver
a sustainable recovery which brings prosperity for all.
In May 2015 a new UK Government will be
elected. It will face many challenges. By
polling day, our economy will be about the
same size as it was in 2008. Economic growth
is underway but global competition is
intensifying. Our fiscal deficit is diminishing
but debt remains high and both higher taxes
and further reductions in public spending
seem likely, if not inevitable.
Building a sustainable recovery which
benefits the whole population is a widely
shared aim and at NIACE we believe better
skills are essential to achieving it. This
manifesto sets out the opportunities and
challenges our society faces along with the
policy changes which can help make lifelong
learning a reality.
An ageing population is one of the most
powerful forces shaping the UK’s future. On
the one hand, it opens up opportunities with
more adults able to contribute to society,
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communities and the economy for much
longer. On the other hand, an ageing
population will put increasingly high
demands on resources for adult social care,
health, welfare and pensions.
Our economy will have 13.5 million job
vacancies in the next decade but with only
7 million young people entering the labour
force in that period, we are heading for a
major labour market imbalance. Sustainable
economic recovery therefore is dependent
on more of us participating successfully in
the labour market and doing so later into
our lives. Higher workforce participation and
productivity lead to more prosperous
working lives and, in turn, this means more
successful businesses, sustained economic
growth and less pressure on taxation.
At the same time the globalisation of skills,
the strong push to re-balance our economy
towards science, engineering and technology
and the changing face of work all require a
step change in our skills system. We already
have skills shortages as well as skills gaps
which will widen as the economy recovers.
To respond to these challenges, more adults
will need the skills to survive and thrive in a
rapidly changing world. This will require ongoing
efforts to learn and develop skills as work and
life changes. It also requires higher investment
from individuals, employers and the state.
And yet the vast majority of UK Government
spending on adult skills is focused on higher
education and the transition from school to
work. The disproportionate spending on higher
education has been at the expense of support
for both young people and those over the
age of 24. Likewise, employer investment in
skills is also skewed, but more towards those
who already have higher-level skills, at the
expense of those in lower-level jobs.
Patterns of spending by the state and by
employers will not deliver the lifelong learning
society we want, nor will they deliver a
sustainable recovery which brings prosperity
for all.
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Our priorities for action
>
We propose six priorities for the next UK Government
which together will secure our vision:
1
A major, independent review into the long-term skills needs and funding issues
facing the UK over the next 20 years, to report by 2018.
2
A new localism which integrates skills with economic growth strategies and provides
leadership through LEPs and combined authorities; supported by a national,
integrated skills and industrial strategy led by a new UK Government department
responsible for education, skills and work.
3
A new Personal Skills Account for all adults linked to an entitlement to career
reviews to help people decide what skills development will work for them.
4
More emphasis on informal, and non-formal, as well as formal learning to enable
people to gain economically and socially useful skills.
5
Basic skills to continue to be fully funded for all adults, with a new emphasis on
supporting those with skills at lower levels to engage in informal learning.
6
A new Apprentice Charter setting out how every Apprenticeship will provide an
expansive education and foundation for a successful career.
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The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Our vision
>
The next UK Government should recognise its role in forming
a new social contract that enables and encourages investment in
skills for adults of all ages to benefit our economy and society.
Our vision is of a truly lifelong learning
society in which all adults have opportunities
to learn and benefit from their learning at
all stages of their lives. At its heart, the
learner will be more in control of the learning
they do, supported by career reviews and
co-funding from the state and employers.
We want a new lifelong learning culture
across the country in which all citizens have
opportunities to learn throughout their lives.
The next UK Government should recognise
its role in forming a new social contract that
enables and encourages investment in skills
for adults of all ages to benefit our economy
and society.
A key part of our vision is knowing that
people who are successful in learning
become serial learners for whom lifelong
learning is a reality. People learn because it
is fun and rewarding, a social engagement
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as well as instrumentally useful. But we also
know that people become new learners for
a reason – to read to a child, to oppose or
promote a community issue, to get a job, to
gain promotion, to feel less isolated. When
new learners see that learning works for
them, they become lifelong advocates, and
this rubs off onto their families, friends and
work colleagues.
Empowering people to benefit from
opportunities to learn in different settings
and ways at any age will help us make the
step change to become a lifelong learning
society. From that, the wider benefits of
learning will flow – tolerance, citizenship,
volunteering, health, community
development and well-being, as well as
economic success and wealth.
To achieve sustainable recovery and
prosperity for all we want a lifelong learning
and skills strategy which delivers:
> a tripartite system of funding through
Personal Skills Accounts for adults to take
control of their own learning and skills
development, over their whole lives with
employers and the state investing alongside
the individual;
> an integrated industrial and skills
strategy which helps employers to create
strong businesses, with good jobs and
training and development for all workers to
be productive;
> skills through informal, non-formal and
formal learning, helping people gain
decent jobs with prospects, stay in work
longer, be more productive, and stay healthy
and thrive;
> direct Government funding to support
every adult to have the basic life skills they
need to be active citizens and have good
career chances;
> strong local leadership to bring together
the public, private and third-sector providers
that deliver the diverse learning opportunities
communities and the economy need.
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Skills must be a priority
>
We want to persuade our political leaders that lifelong learning is
fundamental to building a sustainable and fair economy and society.
For too long, learning and skills have come
second to other public policy priorities.
Pensions, health and adult social care are
higher political priorities than the funding of
learning and skills. We want to persuade our
political leaders that lifelong learning is
fundamental to building a sustainable and
fair economy and society. A new skills
strategy needs to be centre stage.
Success in learning is a reality for many
children who go on to become lifelong
learners, able to adapt and cope with
change and to reap the wide benefits of
learning. However, a large portion of the
population are left believing that learning
and its associated benefits are not for them.
Over the next decade our economy will have
13.5m jobs to fill but only 7m young people
able to fill them. Bridging that gap will mean
more people coming into the labour market
and more people working later in their lives.
More of us will be working into our late 60s
and 70s and will want and need to learn new
skills along the way.
The step change this requires will not only
aid economic growth, it will reduce the costs
of adult social care, health, welfare and
pensions. More people in decent work raises
individual income as well as improving
health and well-being.
We want a system which encourages and
incentivises adults to invest their own time
and money in improving their skills and
knowledge and, in so doing, levers in
funding and support from employers and
Government at key transition points in
people’s lives.
Adults should be able to expect the skills
system to provide high quality guidance and
advice through a new entitlement to Career
Reviews which will help people understand
the labour market they face and the
potential for new skills to support them. This
allows them to take more ownership of their
learning, ensuring that it helps them achieve
their goals. Locking in funding from
employers and Government will ensure that
investment provides the economic as well as
personal and social returns we want to see.
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The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
The challenges to sustainable
recovery for all
>
The next UK Government will inherit an
economy that is about the same size as it
was in 2008. Although economic growth is
underway, the upturn is uneven and global
competition is intensifying. Our fiscal deficit
is diminishing but higher taxes and further
reductions in public spending seem likely, if
not inevitable. People are living longer,
increasing the pressure on adult social care,
health, welfare and pensions budgets.
The next UK Government will also inherit an
increasingly unequal society. Inequalities in
participation and success in learning mirror
closely inequalities in income and wealth.
This matters because too many adults lack
the skills to be active citizens, to secure and
hold down a decent job. Too many are on
the margins of the labour market and the
challenge for them to secure a decent job is
getting bigger. At the same time there are
not enough young people entering the
labour market to fill the expected vacancies
and immigration would not be able to fill
such a large gap, even if it were more
politically acceptable.
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Inequalities in participation and success in learning mirror closely
inequalities in income and wealth.
Helping young people to gain the skills and
resilience to work and live well for longer is
critical but there is an equal need for
investment and focus on older adults. Our
education, learning and skills system is
focused disproportionately on young people
at the expense of support for people over
the age of 23.
The state fully funds learning up to 18, after
which adults must increasingly resource their
own learning (through HE and FE loans) and
maintenance needs until their first job, when
they may also receive support from their
employer. This tripartite funding we have
slipped into is essential because no
Government can meet the UK’s enormous
basic skills needs let alone the demand for
intermediate and higher-level skills. It is
highly likely that loans for learning and
employer funding will become increasingly
critical for us all and UK Government funds
will be ever-more prioritised. That is why we
want people to have more control over the
learning they can purchase and benefit from.
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
The case for
skills investment
>
Quite simply, a lifelong learning
society would be a better place
in which to live.
The many benefits of learning are supported
by research evidence. This manifesto
highlights some of them here.
Civil society benefits
Learning has an intrinsic value and helps
build stronger families, societies and
communities. It is fun, nourishing and
challenging, bringing people together in
ways that foster tolerance, solidarity, social
action, democratic participation,
volunteering and sociability. Quite simply, a
lifelong learning society would be a better
place in which to live.
Health and social benefits
Learning helps us live more healthily and
helps enhance well-being. Public health and
prevention measures are more effective with
better-educated people and involvement in
learning supports better mental health.
Learning supports well-being and helps
people overcome social isolation. Having
good skills increases our resilience to the
stresses and strains of life.
Economic benefits
Learning underpins a stronger economy by
enabling people to enter the labour market,
progress in work, and remain employable
and productive as the nature of work
changes. For employers, a workforce
enabled to learn new skills and refresh
existing capabilities will help close the skills
gaps and support greater business success.
It is no longer sufficient to focus supply-side
policies so heavily on young people entering
the labour market for the first time; our
ageing population demands a more ageinclusive approach.
Skills at all levels are critical here. The
economy needs people to do entry-level
jobs but prosperity is also founded on the
capability of the UK workforce to deliver
higher-level, higher-paid and higher-skilled
roles. So whilst access to basic skills is
crucial, so too is access to full- and part-time
undergraduate higher education,
Apprenticeships from intermediate level to
Masters degree level, and adult further
education at all levels. Research shows that
access to more informal and non-formal
learning is also critical to help people stay
confident and up to date with their skills.
Reframing the argument
The link between employment and pensions,
health and adult social care is widely
understood: the longer people are in paid
employment before they draw their pension,
the greater their ability to put money aside
for a second pension or pay for their future
social care. Staying in work can enhance
health and reduce care needs. But focusing
on those links misses a critical prior step and
leads to a gap in policy. We need more focus
on the skills development and support adults
need to help them stay healthy and productive
longer into extended working lives.
We need Government to recognise this
argument and re-position skills policy to
where it belongs. We also need employers
to recognise their interest and need to make
greater investment in training all of their
workforce. The demographic changes we
face require a new attitude to skills
development and a new understanding of
what lifelong learning means for our society
and economy.
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The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
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The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Priority 1
>
A major, independent review into the long-term skills needs and funding
issues facing the UK over the next 20 years.
Overview
Demographic, technological and global
economic changes have accelerated over
the last 10 years. Improving skills is viewed
as essential for a successful economy and
society and yet recent international studies
show that other countries appear to be
better at realising the potential of their
people. Investment by employers and the
state have reduced in recent years and skills
shortages are emerging.
Learning and skills for adults is complex. Our
system already relies on tripartite funding:
from the public purse, by employers and by
individuals themselves. Education and skills
policy and ‘who pays what’ vary significantly
across the UK nations and differ by subject,
level and the age of learners. Lifelong
learning has direct social and economic
benefits as well helping to achieve savings
in other areas of public policy such as
pensions, health, social care and welfare.
It also ranges from basic literacy and
numeracy through to post-graduate study.
This is why a wide-ranging review is needed.
Over the last 10 years we have seen reviews
into parts of the education and skills system,
all of which have advanced thinking and
contributed to policy and funding changes.
None, however, have helped to develop a
coherent and sustainable policy and funding
system for skills after the age of 18. None
have learned the lessons of different policies
across the four home nations. Those gaps in
our thinking now need to be considered in
the same way that the issues of pensions and
adult care have been in recent years.
How it would work
Given the real pressures on public finances
in the next parliament, no Government will
be able to directly fund the learning needs
of the adult population in full. We therefore
propose that a four-nation, cross-party
commission be set up after the election to
develop an historic long-term settlement for
skills and learning which supports
occupational up-skilling, re-skilling and
lifelong learning.
The commission should cover the whole
of the UK, engaging with the devolved
administrations. This coverage will
encourage learning from the differences in
policy and priorities and how they have
impacted. Such a commission would have
an expansive remit (including workplace
learning, Apprenticeships, traineeships,
higher as well as further education and
community learning) and build on the
lessons from the Turner Review of Pensions
and the Dilnot Review of Social Care, to
produce recommendations by 2018.
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The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Priority 2
>
A new localism which integrates skills with economic growth strategies and provides leadership
through LEPs and combined authorities; supported by a national, integrated skills and industrial
strategy led by a new UK Government department responsible for education, skills and work.
Overview
How it would work
Over the past 25 years, publicly-funded
further education and skills have become
increasingly driven by supply-side
approaches. This has resulted in a system
which is insufficiently flexible and responsive
to local needs as well lacking coherent
policy, funding and leadership across
education, skills and work.
Creation of a single UK Government
department responsible for education, skills
and work, bringing together schooling,
further and higher education within one
department of state along with the welfare
to work policies of the Department for Work
and Pensions.
Since Lord Heseltine’s 2012 report on
economic growth, there has been a growing
cross-party consensus about the need for a
system which responds to local and diverse
needs. There is increasing recognition that
the local economies and demographic
profiles of places as different as Slough and
Sunderland, for example, should have
different patterns of learning and skills
provision which are shaped and determined
by the perceptions and needs of local
employers and communities, rather than by
Whitehall or by providers.
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>
> Combined Authorities, together with
reformed Local Enterprise Partnerships,
to develop Skills Strategies which support
economic and social growth strategies.
> Local Skills Strategies to direct EU funding
streams and capital to support local skills
priorities based on local labour market and
demographic information. Priorities set
locally will, through Personal Skills Accounts,
incentivise people to learn relevant skills for
the labour market.
> Investment at local level in better
information and guidance for people who
want to understand their skills opportunities
and how they can contribute to better jobs
and careers.
> Better engagement with employers to
support them to understand their medium
and long-term workforce skills needs in
order to influence and stimulate their
investment in training.
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Priority 3
>
A new Personal Skills Account for all adults linked to an entitlement to career
reviews to help people decide what skills development will work for them.
Overview
Our vision is of an easily accessible mechanism
that combines shared investment in learning from learners, employers and the state - with
a wider offer of timely career review and
development opportunities. The underpinning
principle of the Accounts is to give people
control of their own learning, allowing them to
benefit from learning and skills development
across the lifecourse.
With a new entitlement to Career Reviews,
at key transition points, people will make
informed choices about the investment they
make in their own development. National and
local priorities for state investment and
employer skills investment will make up the
tripartite funding which every adult will need
across their lifetime.
NIACE’s Mid-life Career Review showed us
that investment in career guidance and
development that is focused on mid-life and
key transition phases, such as returning to the
labour market after prolonged caring, is
powerful. It leads to better decisions about the
skills and learning which will meet employer
demand and deliver the extended working
lives local and national economic strategies
will require.
How it would work
Accounts will be established using the
existing infrastructure of Unique Learner
Numbers, Personal Learning Records,
Register of Training Organisations and by
having learned from previous experience in
England and other countries.
>
> Employers would be expected to register
employees for an Account and contribute
funding when learners themselves invest.
This automatic enrolment in a Personal Skills
Account would place the new Account on a
par with pensions.
> Individual and employer investment in an
Account would be eligible for tax relief, akin
to pensions.
> Career Reviews will become an entitlement
at key transition points such as redundancy,
returning from long-term caring, in mid-life.
> National and local skills priorities and
funding will be routed through the Accounts.
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The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
What our manifesto would mean for……
An older person
>
John, aged 56, has worked in a skilled
job for a medium-sized manufacturing
business in the Midlands for 17 years
and cares for his mother. He has a
recognised vocational qualification,
gained over 30 years ago. He has
learned ‘on the job’ throughout his
working life to keep up with new
machinery. The manufacturer has
unexpectedly announced that John’s
position will be made redundant.
John is devastated. His redundancy
package will not be generous
enough for him to stop working and,
until auto-enrolment came along, he
hadn’t contributed to a pension fund
and cannot draw a state pension
until he is 68. He has to find a job.
He knows that he can still work but
he thinks that he has no chance of
finding a similar job locally. John
doesn’t believe learning is for him
and he certainly isn’t thinking of going
‘back to college’ or ‘doing any exams’.
John takes up the offer of a career
review. It helps him believe that he
can find ways to move forward, firstly
through transferring some of his
skills to other types of work.
The advisor shows John that signing
up for his Personal Skills Account
and investing a small amount of his
redundancy money in some learning
will allow him to make a smoother
transition into new work.
His confidence boosted, John signs
up for a programme at his local
learning provider, and gets more
help from their career development
staff. The careers advisor, using local
labour market information, knows of
some opportunities and refers John
into a recruitment programme.
With help, John prepares for an
interview and gets a job. The new
employer is an enthusiast for the
the Personal Skills Account and
makes a contribution. In this way
John learns the IT skills he needs
for his new job, but also learns to
understand his finances better.
Through the review, John is referred
to a local voluntary organisation to
see how he can get more support to
help care for his mother and in this
way becomes aware of a local project,
in which he starts to volunteer. In
turn this helps him to develop other
new skills and he and his partner
become more involved in their
community.
14 *The case study described is an imagined scenario and not based on the person illustrated
in the photograph.
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Priority 4
>
More emphasis on informal, non-formal, as well as formal learning to enable
people to gain economically and socially useful skills.
Overview
There is a growing consensus about the
value of informal and non-formal learning to
support people to develop their skills and
knowledge at all levels of learning. The
Government recognises this through its
investment in community learning;
employers recognise this in the way they
develop their staff, particularly senior staff.
People coming back into learning are often
more motivated by informal and non-formal
learning in their initial stages to build the
confidence needed to achieve a formal
qualification.
For many adults, this learning provides an
opportunity to discover new interests and
learn how to have a voice in their local
community. For others informal and nonformal learning are often ways in which
adults learn how to support their children
better. The findings of NIACE’s recent Family
Learning Inquiry (2013) demonstrate the
impact that family learning has on raising
children’s attainment, improving life chances
and social mobility.
Our current state funding is focused too
much on achievement of full qualifications.
These are important but there should be a
balance with more opportunity for bite-sized
learning, informal and non-formal. Community
learning funding provides greater flexibility,
but this is distributed very unevenly, meaning
many communities are ill-served.
How it would work
> Continued investment by the UK
Government in community learning in
England, with a review of the distribution
of the funds. The aim should be to have
a viable and vibrant Community Learning
Trust in every part of England.
> A new study-programme approach, using
the NIACE Citizen’s Curriculum, to meet the
needs of those with the lowest skills levels,
which incorporates informal, non-formal as
well as formal learning.
> Integration of family learning and
community learning into the new localism,
leading to more coherent planning and
delivery of all types of learning in a locality.
> Access to Career Reviews which provide
the Information, advice and guidance to
support people to take control of their own
learning, accessing learning opportunities in
the community and at work which include
informal, non-formal and formal learning.
> Pupil Premium to be utilised to offer
parents and carers of children, particularly
those from disadvantaged backgrounds,
high-quality family learning programmes
across England.
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The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Priority 5
>
Basic skills to continue to be fully funded for all adults, with a new emphasis
on supporting those with skills at lower levels to engage in informal learning.
Overview
The findings of the 2011 BIS Skills for Life review
showed that one in six adults in the country still
struggle with reading and writing, and one in
four adults still find maths difficult. Projections
also suggest that by 2015, 90 percent of jobs
will need at least basic computer skills which
around half of adults in the UK lack. The
evidence also shows that the basic skills of
the UK workforce lags behind many other
industrialised nations.
State investment in basic skills has helped
millions of adults to improve their skills, but it
has systematically failed to motivate, engage
and support far too many people with the
lowest skills levels.
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Our work shows that there is a broad suite of
skills which every adult needs to be able to
participate fully in society, to secure work and to
progress. Our Citizen’s Curriculum will provide a
framework for learning providers to be able to
support all adults, even those with the lowest
skills levels, to progress in learning and move
towards formal qualifications.
How it would work
> A single UK Government Department for
Education and Employment to provide a
co-ordinated policy for English, maths, ESOL
and digital skills, throughout life.
A continued entitlement to free learning
for English and maths including GCSE/
Functional Skills Level 2, to ensure that
adults who have benefited least from initial
education have access to high-quality
learning that meets their needs.
>
> A new study-programme approach, using
the NIACE Citizen’s Curriculum, to meet the
needs of those with the lowest skills levels,
supporting more people to achieve formal
qualifications.
> Better engagement of employers in the
design and development of basic skills
programmes, resources and standards.
> Development of new online learning and
support resources specifically for adults who
have low-level English, maths or digital skills.
> Continued investment for intermediate
and higher-level digital skills, to enable
individuals to meet the requirements of their
job and keep pace with advances in
technology.
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
What our manifesto would mean for……
A family
>
Sarah was in her late 30s when her
second child, Amy, started school
and she thought the time was right
to look for a part-time job. She had
enjoyed working as a full-time sales
supervisor before she had children
but several years out of paid work
made her unsure about the skills
and experience she could offer an
employer and the jobs that might
be available.
Shortly after Amy started school,
Sarah went along to a local college
drop-in session, held at the school.
She hadn’t really thought much
about learning new skills, but the
sessions at the school changed all
that. She started learning bits and
pieces and before long was telling
people that she had ‘the learning
bug’ and was keen to do more.
Strengthening her digital skills and
numeracy was very useful for her
family budgeting and supporting her
child’s learning; she particularly liked
doing things together with her
children at school which they could
continue at home.
Sarah started volunteering at the
school and discovered she worked
well with children with difficult
behaviours. A teacher spoke to her
about training to become a teaching
assistant; she was tempted but a bit
daunted by how to make it happen.
She signed up to a Career Review
which helped her explore options
and she opened a Personal Skills
Account. She found out that locally
there was a shortage of trained
teaching assistants so there was
co-funding to help, alongside a
loan to pay for the learning. She
also found a course which was
flexible around her caring
responsibilities.
Having a realistic sense of her
prospects encouraged Sarah and
her partner to invest in her training.
Knowing that a future employer
would contribute to her Account
whenever she did was another big
incentive to see this as a first
investment in what she hoped
would be a lifelong involvement
with learning.
*The case study described is an imagined scenario and not based on the person illustrated
in the photograph.
17
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
What our manifesto would mean for……
An employer
>
Marie runs a small security alarm
manufacturing business. The 2009
recession resulted in some redundancies
and business diversification into
security lighting.
Marie’s PA, Fran, wanted to improve
her digital skills to use her new tablet
computer. She opened a Personal
Skills Account to take advantage of
the additional Government
contribution. At the accompanying
career review, Fran recognised
that she could use her digital
learning at work to expand her
job role and improve the firm’s
online presence. The employer
contribution to the cost of the
learning allowed Fran to enrol on
a local college course which was
delivered flexibly to fit in with
work. The new skills helped her
improve the business’s website and
use social media to reach new
customers. She is also a proficient
tablet computer user.
Marie started to take more interest
in skills and got involved locally with
the employer forum, part of the LEP.
She met other business owners
facing similar challenges and began
to think more about her own
workforce skills needs. She
recognised that the limited English
(writing) skills of some staff meant
they had been unable to cover other
job roles or take on new duties. The
new basic skills learning provided by
the local authority and co-funded by
her and the learner enabled some
staff to improve their English writing
skills. Several employees progressed
to gain formal English qualifications.
Following this success, Marie
established informal workplace
numeracy sessions.
As an employer, Marie has noticed a
change in the workplace. There is an
improvement in staff confidence and
a willingness to take on new roles.
Staff absence has reduced and
temporary staff are not required to
meet skills gaps. The business
impact is significant, new customers
identified and new orders won.
Encouraged by her positive
experience of working with the
college, Marie is now talking to them
about taking on an apprentice and
providing work experience for
people on the Traineeship
programme. Marie has been looking
at the Apprentice Charter to help
design a programme which benefits
her business as well as providing a
great opportunity for the right
person to further their career
prospects.
18 *The case study described is an imagined scenario and not based on the person illustrated
in the photograph.
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Priority 6
>
A new Apprentice Charter setting out how every Apprenticeship will provide
an expansive education and foundation for a successful career.
Overview
An Apprenticeship should enable every
apprentice to acquire the transferable skills
they need not simply for a job but for a long,
fulfilling career and for life. It is a long-term
commitment by an employer and an
apprentice on the journey from novice
towards expert.
While the quantity of Apprenticeships has
increased, quality remains variable and
equality of access remains a challenge.
Research also shows that whilst a large
majority of apprentices are satisfied
(86%) with their experience, pay, career
and learning progression beyond
an Apprenticeship remain low.
> Sets out the opportunities, experiences,
support and feedback an apprentice can
expect to receive at different stages of their
Apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships are a priority and core
element of the UK Government’s policies
o develop the skills of the workforce. In the
last two years there have been many reviews
and consultations on Apprenticeships, each
one setting out the Government’s interest
and furthering the employer ‘ownership’
ambition. None, though, have properly
considered the rights and voices of
apprentices themselves. There needs
to be a wider partnership involving the
Government, employers and apprentices.
How it would work
> A requirement for all publicly-funded
Apprenticeships to ensure quality of the
experience.
A new Apprentice Charter written from the
apprentice perspective and signed-up to by
Government, employers, learners and
providers.
>
> Recognition of the role of apprentices
and the Apprentice Charter in the
Apprenticeship Reforms.
> Available prior to the Apprenticeship
so that apprentices can see what the
Apprenticeship will involve and it becomes
an integral part of the programme.
19
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
What our manifesto would mean for……
A young adult
>
James is 21, he didn’t enjoy school
and left at age 16 with three GCSEs.
He started working for a local
printing company as a packer but
that only lasted a year when his
employer lost two large contracts.
After that James had a number of
unskilled jobs on a casual basis,
interspersed with periods of
unemployment and zero hours
contracts.
To begin, he apprehensively started
a free maths and English course - he
achieved Level 2 maths in less than
three months! He also did a work
experience placement with a local IT
company. For the first time in his
life, James could see that learning
was for him - he began to feel
confident in his abilities and that
he has a positive contribution to
make to society.
James became a dad at 19; this
increased his motivation to work and
secure a good income for his family,
but he didn’t know what his options
were or where to go for advice and
support. Things really began to
change for James when his JCP
advisor referred him for a Career
Review. At first James was reluctant,
he perceived it as ‘another scheme
that will lead nowhere.’
James is impatient to achieve his
goals. During his work placement,
James’s mentor explained about
Apprenticeships and showed him
the new Apprentice Charter. James
has decided that combining skills
development and wider learning
with work is perfect for him.
The Career Review helped James
develop a realistic plan matching his
skills and interests with current and
projected local job vacancies. James
decided to pursue a pathway to
becoming a web-developer and is
confident that there will be a
growing demand for his skills during
the next 10 years.
James is now in control of his life
and excited about the future. His
enthusiasm and passion for learning
is rubbing off on his family too. He’s
now certain that his daughter will be
the first person in his family to go to
university!
20 *The case study described is an imagined scenario and not based on the person illustrated
in the photograph.
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Contact us...
We welcome all comments and questions in relation to our manifesto; please get in touch by emailing: manifesto@niace.org.uk
You can also contact a member of the Senior Management team for further information on any specific areas of interest.
David Hughes
Tom Stannard
Carol Taylor
Chief Executive Officer
Deputy Chief Executive - Communications
and Public Affairs
Deputy Chief Executive - Development
and Research
david.hughes@niace.org.uk
Follow @davidhNIACE
tom.stannard@niace.org.uk
Follow @tomstannard
carol.taylor@niace.org.uk
Follow @NIACE_CarolT
David Hughes joined NIACE as its Chief Executive
in 2011, after 11 years of working at the further
education funding agencies, the Skills Funding
Agency (SFA) and the Learning and Skills Council
(LSC).
Tom Stannard is responsible for NIACE’s national
work on partnerships, communications, policy and
public affairs, with a focus on skills, economic
growth and renewal, and the social return on
investment in lifelong learning.
Carol Taylor leads NIACE’s research and
development work, liaising with national and
international partners and stakeholders to ensure
maximum impact on policy.
21
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
Manifesto General Election 2015
Supporting documents
>
BIS (2012) Skills for Life Survey: A
Survey of Literacy, Numeracy and
ICT Levels in England. London: BIS
BIS (2013) Review of the Economic
Benefits of Training and
Qualifications, as shown as Research
based on Cross-Sectional and
Administrative Data. London: BIS
Carpenter, H., Papps, I., Bragg, J.,
Dyson, A., Harris, D., Kerr, K., Todd,
L., and Laing, K. (2013) Evaluation of
Pupil Premium. London: Department
for Education
Fujiwara, D. (2012) Valuing the
Impact of Adult Learning: An
Analysis of the Effect of Adult
Learning on Different Domains in
Life. Leicester: NIACE
Gosling, M. (2011) Older Learners in
the Workplace. London: City and
Guilds Centre for Skills Development
John Healey MP and Les Newby
(2014) Making Local Economies
Matter: A Review of Policy Lessons
from the Regional Development
Agencies and Local Enterprise
Partnerships. London: The Smith
Institute
22
The Rt Hon the Lord Heseltine of
Thenford CH (2012) No Stone
Unturned in Pursuit of Growth.
London: BIS
NIACE (2014) Mid-Life Career
Review: Extending Working Life
Through Career Review at Mid-LIfe.
Leicester: NIACE
Higton, J., Keilloh, G., and Emmett,
R. (2014) Tracking the Impact of 24+
Advanced Learning Loans. London:
BIS
NIACE (2014) Community Learning
Innovation Fund: Impact report.
Leicester: NIACE
Higton, J., Tu, T., Emmett, R., and
Colahan, M. (2013) Apprenticeships
Evaluation: Learners. London: BIS
Hogarth, T., Adams, L., Gambin, L.,
Garnett, E., and Winterbotham, M.
(2014) Employer Routed Funding:
Employer Responses to Funding
Reform. London: BIS
Jenkins, A. and Mostafa, T. (2012)
Learning and Wellbeing Trajectories
Among Older Adults in England.
London: BIS
NIACE (2013) Family Learning
Works: The Inquiry into Family
Learning in England and Wales.
Leicester: NIACE
NIACE (2013) 2013 NIACE Adult
Participation in Learning Survey:
Headline Findings. Leicester: NIACE
OECD (2013) Skilled for Life? Key
Findings from the Survey of Adult
Skills. OECD
Schuller, T. and Watson, D. (2009)
Learning Through Life: Inquiry into
the Future for Lifelong Learning.
Leicester: NIACE
Baroness Sharp of Guildford (2011) A
Dynamic Nucleus: The Final Report
of the Independent Commission on
Colleges in their Communities.
Leicester: NIACE
Störmer, E., Patscha, C., Prendergast,
J., Daheim, C., Rhisiart, M., Glover,
P., and Beck, H. (2014) The Future of
Work: Jobs and Skills in 2030
London: UKCES
Vaitilingam, R. (2011) Recovery
Britain: Research Evidence to
Underpin a Productive, Fair and
Sustainable Return to Growth.
Swindon: ESRC
Wilson, R., Beaven, R., May-Gillings,
M., Hay, G., and Stevens, J. (2014)
Working Futures 2012 – 2022.
London: UKCES
Winterbotham M., Vivian D., Shury
J., and Davies B. (2013) The UK
Commission’s Employer Skills Survey
2013: UK Results. London: UKCES
Images:
Front Cover and Pg 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 17, 23
© Paul Hickinbotham
Pg 10, 20 and Back Cover © Caters
Photographic
Pages 14, 18 © Ed Melia
The National Voice
for Lifelong Learning
© NIACE 2014
NIACE
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