Post-16 Education and Apprenticeship Levy Funding – Next steps for English Devolution

NCFE and the Campaign for Learning are proud to launch a new paper, ‘Post-16 Education and Apprenticeship Levy Funding: next steps for English devolution’ – a volume of expert pieces that consider the future of the post-16 education and training budget from a devolution perspective

The pamphlet has contributions from well known experts in post-16 education, Joe Dromey, Kevin Gilmartin, Julian Gravatt, Ewart Keep, Susan Pember, Mick Fletcher and Alan Palmer.

The focus for the paper is the £27.8bn post-16 education and training budget excluding capital spending. The authors look at the arguments for and against devolving post-16 budgets and what issues will need to be considered for students, providers and policymakers.

Michael Lemin, Policy and Research Manager at NCFE said:

“We’re delighted to publish our latest paper in partnership with Campaign for Learning. This pamphlet considers next steps for the devolution of post- 16 education and apprenticeship levy funding. More specifically, it is a contribution to the debate on the government’s reviews of Post- 18 Education and Funding and the UK Apprenticeship Levy, to the work of various commissions on adult education, and to Labour’s second consultation on the National Education Service.

The pamphlet has contributions from seven well known experts in the post-16 education. The range of views articulated shine a light on the complexities regarding devolved funding, and we expect that this subject will be the centre of much debate in the coming years.”

Julia Wright, National Director, Campaign for Learning said:

“Given the complexity of the post-16 education system and the scale of the budgets, we believe a focused debate on next steps for devolution of this area is crucial. We are grateful to our contributors for setting out their thinking and we trust their excellent analysis and the points and issues they raise will inform discussions going forward.”

The contributions are:

• Joe Dromey, Learning and Work Institute on Devolving 16-18 Education and Apprenticeship Levy Funding
• Kevin Gilmartin, Association of School and College Leaders on Devolving 16-18 Education Funding: Issues for School Sixth Forms
• Julian Gravatt, Association of Colleges on Devolving 16-18 Education Funding: Issues for FE and Sixth Form Colleges
• Ewart Keep, SKOPE, University of Oxford on Devolving Apprenticeship Levy Funding: Issues for Policy Makers
• Susan Pember, HOLEX on Devolving Post-16 Funding: Lessons from the Adult Education Budget
• Mick Fletcher, RCU on Devolution and Post-18 Fee and Maintenance Loans: Issues for Students
• Alan Palmer, MillionPlus on Devolution of 16-18 Education and Apprenticeship Levy Funding: Issues for Higher Education

About NCFE: Designs, develops and certificates diverse, nationally recognised qualifications which have benefited millions of UK learners in the past 10 years. Dynamic and committed to changing lives through learning, NCFE believes that education can help every individual to achieve their full potential.

NCFE offers a wide portfolio including Apprenticeships, qualifications which support Study Programmes and Traineeships, fundable qualifications for adult learners, high quality distance learning models and V Certs for schools. All are supported by NCFE’s exceptional customer service and unique, friendly approach. In 2015, NCFE expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of the CACHE brand (the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education), which is market leader in the childcare sector.

NCFE is a registered educational charity with a strong heritage in learning, going back over 170 years.  

About the Campaign for Learning: An independent charity which works for social and economic inclusion through learning. The Campaign is a specialist in engaging people in learning. It works with partners to research, design and deliver innovative programmes and approaches that support people wherever they are to access life-changing learning opportunities.