The future of post-16 education
Responsibility for securing education and training provision for all young people aged 16 to 18 has changed hands from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to Warwickshire County Council today (April 1).
Under the new arrangement, the local authority and the county’s 14-19 Partnership will handle commissioning of post-16 education. This means that the county council is responsible for ensuring that provision is commissioned, designed, supported and challenged around the needs of learners.
The county council will hold a £70 million budget for 16 to 18 commissioning for education and training, or up to age 25 for young people with learning difficulties or disabilities. The local authority will also be taking control of apprenticeships for the first time.
The aim of these changes is to improve learning routes and integrate services for young people. They are crucial to successfully delivering the historic age of leaving education/training to 17 by 2013 and 18 by 2015.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Children, Young People and Families, said: “This is a very significant day regarding the provision of education and training for 16 to 18-year-olds in Warwickshire.
“We aim to continue the good work previously carried out by the LSC and ensure that our post-16 learners have the best possible provision to stand them in good stead for later life.”
The role of the county council will now encompass a wide remit, including planning to meet learning needs of over-16s both locally and across county boundaries.
Officers will work with colleges and other providers to ensure high quality provision and meet attainment targets and to reduce those Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).
Staff have been transferred from the LSC to the local authority from today (April 1), and a restructured county council 14-19 team is now headed up by Yvonne Rose, formerly of the Learning and Skills Council.
Yvonne Rose, 14-19 Lead Officer said: “This is a landmark day for post-16 provision and we anticipate that this will be a seamless transition from the LSC to the local authority. We will continue our good practice across the county and maintain the excellent work carried out to date.”