The Learning and Skills Sector: The Emerging Agenda. FEDA Comments.

Britain's new Learning and Skills Bill focuses on learners', not providers', interests. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) opens up funding for voluntary and community bodies, and organizations from outside education, and has a duty to encourage employers to participate in the provision of post-16 education and training. Local education agencies (LEAs) may establish and maintain secondary schools that provide full-time education only for 16-19 year-olds. The role of local learning partnerships is strengthened, a welcome development given their potential for reflecting the needs of the local community. The bill restricts the power of further education corporations to set up companies for the purpose of providing education or training. Although local authorities have a greater strategic influence over post-16 learning in their local areas, the bill makes it clear that in relation to adult and community education, LEAs are required to secure provision specified by the LSC. LSCs' responsibilities mark a significant shift toward more area-based planning and higher quality. A model gives them the role of assessing needs, generating a plan to meet them, and contracting provision to deliver. Although the planning approach set out is essentially local, patterns of regional and national specialisms have been established. The bill makes it clear that when a course for 16-19 year-olds leads to an external qualification, LSC funds can only be used for programs that lead to approved qualifications. A welcome new focus is on seeking learner feedback. (Contains 37 notes.) (YLB)