Press Release: Government follows our agenda on abolition of Learning and Skills Council
In response to the Government’s decision to abolish the Learning and Skills Council.
Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, David Willetts, said:
“We have been calling for the abolition of the Learning and Skills Council. It looks as if once again the Government is following our agenda.
“But they must do so wholeheartedly. They mustn’t keep the same amount of bureaucracy and spread it around.
“They need to cut the scandalous overhead costs and red tape that diverts far too much effort from real training.”
Notes for Editors
1. On Monday, 17th March the Government announced the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) would be replaced by a number of other organisations, including a Young People’s Learning Agency and a Skills Funding Agency. In future, local authorities will have responsibility for the full range of educational and training entitlements for 14-19 year olds.
2. In August 2007, the Economic Competitiveness Group said: ‘Evidence presented to us suggests that the LSC lacks a global mindset and insufficiently appreciates the future skills requirement that UK plc requires to compete within the global economy. … We envisage an empowered, professionalised cadre of Sector Skills Councils that replace the LSC as the primary providers of skills research and labour market signals to the CAS [Careers Advisory Service] and to training providers.’ (Freeing Britain to Compete, p.125, p.132)