John Penrose

Conservative Party | Weston-super-Mare

Further Education

John Penrose (Weston-super-Mare) (Con): Is the Minister aware that in my part of Somerset, Weston-super-Mare college, of which I am a governor, is suffering—along with many other colleges throughout the country—from a problem that the Association of Colleges has identified as arising from the introduction of the new entitlement to free level 2 courses? That has meant a substantial loss of fee income to FE colleges from large employers in industries such as construction, engineering and catering. Such money must now be made up by the taxpayer as a dead-weight cost of the new policy, before any additional educational benefit is achieved.

Phil Hope: I am glad that the hon. Gentleman has raised the question of level 2 funding for adults in the workplace. We have a huge skills gap, as Members in all parts of the House recognise, and we need to shift our focus—as we are doing—in the way that the Foster report described, on to providing funding for adult skills in the workplace. This system will provide a huge opportunity for colleges in the next two years, as the demand-led roll-out of the national employer training programme gives employers free, full-level entitlement. They will be able to choose the colleges that provide the training that they want, at the time when and in the place where they want it. That demand-led system will drive up skills in the work force, and provide a good opportunity for investment and for the provision of training by FE colleges.