HC Deb 07 November 1996 vol 284 cc622-3W
Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to introduce learning credits for 16 to 19-year-old students. [2207]

Mr. Paice

The Government propose to bring together, into a single entitlement to learning expressed in the form of a credit, their existing guarantee of training and the statutory duty of the Further Education Funding Council to secure sufficient and adequate education for young people. All young people would be issued with a learning credit as they complete their compulsory education. Learning credits, which would not be cash based, would build on the best of youth credits arrangements already operated by training and enterprise councils. Careers services, working closely with providers, would have an important role in issuing the credit as part of the information and guidance they provide to all young people.

The Government believe that the learning credits approach, taken together with the work proposed to secure greater convergence of post-16 funding arrangements, would further strengthen the choices young people make and the responsiveness of providers to them. They intend to consult on learning credits in December, with a view to their phased introduction from 1997.