§ John MannTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure that the Learning and Skills Council has adequate funds to widen successful participation in work-based learning. [53087]
§ Margaret HodgeThe LSC's budget for 2002–03 is £7.3 billion, a 5.9 per cent real terms increase on the86W previous year. This will enable the LSC to make progress towards its key targets. These include increasing the participation and achievement of young people in learning (including work based learning) and increasing the demand for learning by adults and employers. We have also increased the flexibility available to the LSC to meet its priorities by simplifying the budget structure and removing unnecessary restrictions on how the grant is spent. We have worked with the LSC to agree clear outcomes which include promoting equality by highlighting outcomes for under-represented groups in work-based learning.
The Government have contributed substantial financial support for Modern Apprenticeships (MAs). Between 1997 and 2002 over £3.7 billion has been allocated to Government-supported work-based learning, of which it is estimated that in excess of £1 billion has been used to support MAs. As a result of this investment, the number of young people on MAs has risen from 75,000 in 1997 to over 220,000 today. We are investing an additional £180 million over three years 2001–04 to support and further develop MAs, a clear sign of the importance we attach to their role in raising skills levels in the workplace, and in offering young people high quality vocational and work-elated options for post-16 learning. The Government and the LSC recently agreed a target of over a quarter of young people between the age of 16 and 21 entering MAs by 2004 and the LSC will have sufficient funds to meet this target.
§ John MannTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with the Adult Learning Inspectorate on the use of unpublished benchmarks to measure achievement in work-based learning. [53096]
§ Margaret HodgeThere have been no discussions between the Secretary of State and the Adult Learning Inspectorate (the ALI) about benchmarks. In her January 2002 grant letter to the chair of the ALI the Secretary of State expressed concern about the downward trend in inspection grades awarded to providers for work-based learning. To investigate the reasons the Department commissioned the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) to carry out a research study. When finalised, we will consider the evidence and take appropriate action. This will include reviewing how we measure achievement in work based learning.