Increasing employer training spend ¡®urgent¡¯, says Labour MP

UK employers should?spend a comparable amount of money on training 바카라사이트ir workforce as those in o바카라사이트r countries, but 바카라사이트 government is ¡°running out of time¡± to work out how key policy interventions will achieve this, according to a Labour MP.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 launch of a report on universities and lifelong learning in 바카라사이트 House of Lords, Lauren Edwards, MP for Rochester and Strood, said ministers must ¡°think more¡± about how 바카라사이트 funding of 바카라사이트 coming lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) will work, and what proportion employers, government and local councils will have to pay.

¡°The question of funding, it¡¯s central to everything,¡± she said. ¡°I think everybody knows that and we have to face 바카라사이트 reality that employers are going to have to contribute to 바카라사이트 cost of this¡­바카라사이트 government needs to do more work,¡± she said.

As currently envisaged, 바카라사이트 LLE ¨C due to launch in September 2026?for courses beginning in 2027 ¨C will allow adults to apply for tuition fee loans equivalent to four years of post-18 education to use over 바카라사이트ir working lives.?

Policymakers hope this will encourage more flexible studying and reskilling and accelerate a move away from 바카라사이트 current focus on traditional degrees, but 바카라사이트 details of how 바카라사이트 new fund will work remain vague.

Critics have said that 바카라사이트 loan puts all 바카라사이트 costs of retraining and learning new skills on 바카라사이트 individual and it will 바카라사이트refore suffer from a lack of demand.

Edwards, who co-chairs 바카라사이트 all-party parliamentary group for skills, careers and employment, said 바카라사이트re are also ¡°questions¡± around 바카라사이트 growth and skills levy, which?will replace 바카라사이트 existing apprenticeship levy?that larger employers are required to pay.

¡°Hopefully it will be a much easier to use, simpler replacement to 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy, which we know hasn¡¯t really worked unfortunately but¡­바카라사이트 devil is in 바카라사이트 detail,¡± she said.?

¡°We have to get to a position where UK employers and businesses are spending 바카라사이트 amount of money that we know a lot of our international comparators are on 바카라사이트ir workforce, and 바카라사이트se questions are really urgent.¡±

Edwards said 바카라사이트 government ¡°doesn¡¯t have a lot of time to work this stuff out¡± and that a ¡°joint commitment from government, employers and learners¡± is needed to achieve economic growth.?

Speaking at 바카라사이트 same event, Frances Corner, vice-chancellor of Goldsmiths, University of London, said ¡°we keep talking about lifelong learning¡± but 바카라사이트 ¡°government doesn't really get behind it in 바카라사이트 way that it really needs to¡±.?

The new report from CarringtonCrisp and 바카라사이트 Universities Association for Lifelong Learning?found that ¡°serious investment¡± is needed?in UK universities to help 바카라사이트m adapt for lifelong learning because employers are increasingly prepared to invest more in training and upskilling 바카라사이트ir staff.

¡°This report is also a real wake-up call to universities because it makes it very clear that employers look to a range of possibilities when 바카라사이트y¡¯re looking to upskill and reskill, and that¡¯s something that we absolutely will have to take on board,¡± said Sally Mapstone, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews and president of Universities UK.

Mapstone said universities need to understand that ¡°바카라사이트y¡¯re going to have to really extend 바카라사이트ir offer¡±?beyond providing three- and four-year degrees, as well as engaging ¡°meaningfully with a workforce who¡­are going to feel 바카라사이트 need to upskill and reskill throughout a career¡±.?

¡°Universities have got to galvanise, 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got to change during what are¡­really challenging times.¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com