FE and MOG

Christine Tyler Colleges Specialist, ASCL Former Chair, BRG

Raising Expectations: enabling the system to deliver

• Dissolve Learning and Skills Council in 2010 and replace with: • Young People’s Learning Agency for 14-19 funding (independent board) • Skills Funding Agency for 19+ funding (part of DIUS)

YPLA will ….

• have powers to launch more significant 16-18 reorganisation of provision • have responsibilities for LLDD • commission provision for young offenders in custodial institutions • work to create common funding arrangements for 16-19 learners in both schools and colleges • introduce a common performance management framework across 16-18 system • distribute funding to local authorities for local decision making

SFA will focus on 19+ learning and skills and will:

• manage the National Employers’ Service • work with the National Apprenticeship Service • work with an England-wide Adult Advancement and Careers Service • be responsible for performance management in FE colleges • be the point of intervention in ensuring minimum standards and levels of performance

Funding – 16-19

• YPLA will oversee distribution of funding to local authorities for local commissioning of programmes • Local authorities will form sub regional partnerships and will work in partnership with FE institutions for 16-19 provision in colleges

Funding, 19+

• Majority of post 19 funding received by colleges will flow in direct response to customer choice through the Train to Gain initiative • There will be skills accounts for individual learners following approved programmes • SFA intended as a funding body, not a funding and planning body

Effects, 1

• Sixth form colleges, designated as a separate category of colleges, will rejoin the local authority family. • FE colleges will be working with local authorities, with commissioning of 16-19 work organised regionally or sub-regionally through Local Authorities and performance management overseen by SFA. Train to Gain work is ‘demand led’.

• Legal transfer by 1 April 2010 – in practice by 1 September 2009

Effects, 2

• 2009-2010 funding round being managed by LSC with local authority involvement • LSC staffing and expertise diminishing • Local authority clusters forming – announcement in early 2009.

• Sixth form colleges unclear on their future • Capital funding for 16-19 provision will be part of local BSF planning

Framework for Excellence

• In colleges and most learning providers from September 2009 • Piloting in schools from September 2010 • Three dimensions – responsiveness, effectiveness and finance, each with variable PIs according to position in sector • Finance dimension being reviewed to accommodate differences across sector/system

College leaders’ concerns, 1

• Unrealistic timescales • DIUS/DCSF split – silo working • Split of responsibilities – e.g. funding, careers services • Local authorities’ capacity to plan from 2010 • Cross boundary issues • Complexity, bureaucracy • IAG

College leaders’ concerns, 2

• Local politics and their effect on commissioning • Residency issues and catchment areas • Consistency of information systems • The role of Government Offices in the system • National Apprenticeships Service role and relationships • Skills accounts • Framework for Excellence • Where does Self Regulation fit in all this?

I could go on……

• Genuine will at government level for this to work • DCSF and DIUS officials trying to make sense of it all • Need for something to drop off the end whenever new measures are introduced • Groups like the Information Authority, BRG and FE Communications group all working to simplify the system • MIAP and the ULN should eventually help individual learners (and providers)