Leaked Document Reveals Cutbacks to Colleges and Adult Learning Budget

Tue, 10 Nov 2009

A leaked government document has revealed that more than 130,000 training places could be axed as part of government plans to reclaim £340 million from the education and skills budget. Following the huge bank bail outs, including the largest ever bank bailout of RBS, the government is in dire need of making savings. Further education college places and adult apprenticeship budgets are among the areas from which the government is expected to reclaim funds. More specifically, the document proposes a 10 per cent saving from the Adult Safeguarded Learning budget helping those with poor basic skills.

College staff and teachers should expect redundancies and pay freezes as part of the cutbacks, while mature students will find it harder to secure funding. Indeed, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills document reveals that overall learner numbers would suffer. The cuts would form part of the £5 billion efficiency savings announced by Chancellor Alistair Darling in April.

General Secretary of the University College Union, Sally Hunt, criticised the cutbacks, saying the government was undermining attempts to improve social mobility. Ministers have defended the savings, claiming that front line services won’t be affected.
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