£11m to boost learning and skills

TdaNews Direct
Published: 20 November, 2007

The Government has announced it will invest £11 million in boosting skills for learning in England.

Over the next three years total spending on learning skills will rise to £12.3 billion in 2010/11, compared to £6.5 billion in 2001/2, in a bid to improve education and training initiatives for young people and adults.

The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, said: "We want every young person to make the most of their talent in life. Leaving school at sixteen without qualifications is not an option in today's dynamic world where everyone needs skills and qualifications. We must maximise the skills and knowledge of our young people to compete in the global economy.

"This significant investment in education and training is an investment in our country's future. We must provide teenagers with the right options and support as we prepare the ground to successfully raise the participation age to 18."

At the centre of the programme are the apprenticeship qualifications that the Government has invested over £1 billion into funding in order to increase the overall total of places available on these courses to more than 400,000 by 2011.

The new funding is being specifically targeted on training designed to improve job prospects and opportunities for further learning.