§ Ross CranstonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the forthcoming review of the funding of adult education will include a review of provision for those private individuals who fund their own skills training. [97958]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe Review of Funding of Adult Learning has a remit to consider all funding for adult learning post 19, including how the Government's various support mechanisms for learning could be more 347W effectively deployed to provide incentives to employers to engage in training; cause institutions to be responsive to employer needs, building their capacity to work with employers; widen participation in learning by the low skilled; and enable Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to play their full and effective role in developing and implementing regional skills strategies. The outcomes of the Review will form part of the Skills Strategy, to be published in June 2003.
§ Ross CranstonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance he intends to give to private individuals who meet the cost of skills training from their own resources as opposed to their employer's; and if he will make a statement. [97959]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe Government is not yet in a position to make a statement about the assistance that will be given to private individuals meeting the costs of learning. As part of the fundamental Review of the Funding of Adult Learning that is currently being undertaken, we are looking at all possible options for funding the acquisition of skills, from the points of view of both individuals and employers. The outcomes of the Review will form part of the Skills Strategy, to be published in June 2003. The Strategy will set out how different government programmes and policies will contribute to raising the skills of the population.
§ Ross CranstonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations he has received from learning providers about(a) the need for higher level IT skills and (b) the Government's policy on this issue. [97965]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisI have not received any significant representations from learning providers on the need for higher level skills in the Information Technology (IT) sector in recent months. However, we remain aware of their ongoing importance and committed to the policies we have introduced to meet these needs. Skills deficits in the sector have declined from their peak in 1999 when the Stevens report, "Skills for the Information Age" highlighted these issues. Since that time, an £8 million programme of measures has been put in place to improve the image of the IT industry, build greater understanding of the labour market and strengthen links between education and industry.
Recent developments include establishing New Technology Institutes to provide high quality teaching facilities and progression routes into honours degrees, based on partnership between universities, colleges and employers. And currently, e-skills-UK are in the final stages of development to becoming the Sector Skills Council for the industry. They will provide a vital lead in articulating employers' requirements and helping to ensure there is high quality and relevant provision available.
§ Ross CranstonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the skills strategy about which he has recently consulted will include provision to encourage private individuals to meet the costs of their own skills training in higher level IT skills and other skill areas. [97966]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe Government will publish the Skills Strategy in June 2003; one element of that Strategy will be the consideration of how individuals can348W be encouraged to meet the costs of learning at higher levels. The Review of Funding of Adult Learning—the outcomes of which will feed into the Skills Strategy—is currently considering ICT issues, including how ICT skills might be delivered, and how training to acquire those skills might be supported through funding.