Nick Hope (London, NLGN): The Government's consultation Raising Expectations: enabling the system to deliver, which focused on the Government's proposals for devolving funding and responsibility for 14-19 education and training to local authorities, has come to an end. Whatever submissions have been made, it is clear that failure to implement a new, unified and truly localised education system for under 19s will be costly - not only for young people but the economy. But there is a danger that a new national quango, rather than local authorities, will be given key commissioning responsibilities.
The skills challenge is formidable. Lord Leitch's definitive report published in 2006 warned that we have neither the quantity nor the quality of necessary vocational skills, putting the UK's long-term prosperity at risk in an increasingly competitive global environment. Whilst Lord Leitch focused on adult skills he made it clear that in order to achieve a world class skills base, the UK must first aim for world class attainment among young people by ensuring an integrated 14-19 phase.
The case for joining up 14-19 education by giving local authorities the lead is compelling. Creating a unified and coherent education system for under 19s is essential if young people are to gain the qualifications and skills they need.
The Education and Skills Bill, currently before Parliament, provides a real opportunity to make this change a reality and for local authorities to deliver the world class skills. By 2013 local authorities will have a statutory duty to deliver full participation in education for all 17 year olds (rising to 18 year olds by 2015). Every young person will be entitled to a new curriculum that includes 17 new diplomas and an apprenticeship to any student that wants one.
By 2010 planning and funding responsibilities for 16-19 year olds will be transferred from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to local authorities. But real ambition is required if central government and local authorities are to step outside their comfort zone and make it work.
The LSC will be divided into two new quangos; the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), which will fund skills development for adults and manage new National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), and the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA), which will manage the programme for 14-19 year olds. The YPLA will operate nationally and regionally, but despite assurances that it will be a ‘slim' agency the role it will play is far from clear.
The YPLA will be responsible for, amongst other things, moderation of commissioning plans and commissioning of some specialist, third sector and employment provision on behalf of local authorities at a national level. In one model proposed by the Government it will also be responsible at a national level for FE College commissioning on behalf of local authorities.
Of course local authorities must have the structures and capacity to deliver the 14-19 skills agenda themselves. Local leaders, Chief Executives and local authority staff must step up and show the drive and vision if they are to deliver the new system. But, central government must also back a localised skills agenda. Ministers need to show strong leadership and push power away from the national level to the local level.
Under the new system local authorities will cluster together in sub-regional groupings that reflect travel-to-learn patterns and that ensure collective commissioning plans meet the needs of young people across a wider local area. These sub-regional groupings must also ensure that they have the governance structures in place to resolve disputes between local authorities.
Discussions in the "MAA Forum", which the New Local Government Network administers, have highlighted the potential that a number of local authorities see for the new Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs) to implement these arrangements and take on a skills role.
But it is vital that power is really devolved to these sub-regional groupings and local authorities. The Government states that "there should be progressive devolution of power and authority to the sub-regional level as the collaborative arrangements become stronger and more formal." But such open statements provide no timeframes or targets and little reassurance for those who believe in skills devolution - especially when the government also proposes that as a "default" the YPLA should have a "significant role."
FE College commissioning should take place at a sub-regional level. It would be a departure from a localised, unified and integrated education system for young people if FE commissioning was to occur at a national level.
It is important that the YPLA does not simply become an overloaded quango that ties the hands of local authorities, but is a light-touch agency that only steps in when sub-regional groupings are genuinely not working.
There is a real danger that when power and responsibilities are supposed to fall to local authorities they will immediately bounce back up to the national level.
If we are to rise to the global skills challenge power must really fall to the local level and stay there.
