This report by the Future-Ready Skills Commission calls for the government to expand the entitlement to a first full Level 2 and 3 qualifications to all ages, including local flexibility to determine provision. Published in September, it contains nine policy recommendations designed to build an adult skills and training system better able to meet the needs of local economies, and future challenges and opportunities in the workplace.
The Future-Ready Skills Commission was launched in 2019 to undertake a review of the post-16 landscape in England as one of the most centralised systems in the UK and indeed the world. The review had an explicit focus on designing a blueprint for a devolved skills system - with the ability of local areas and regions to have the powers and funding to respond to what is needed in the local labour market is critical for the economic prosperity for all.
Key recommendations of its final report are now to be adopted by government. This includes a universal entitlement to a first, fully-funded Level 3 qualification - or A-Level equivalent – in almost 400 courses to help adults gain in-demand skills.
Mayoral Combined Authorities will play a central role in identifying the skills needed in their local labour market and delivering courses and training to make this happen.
Currently, funding for a first Level 3 qualification is only available to those aged under 23. The government has announced that this entitlement is now extended to adults of all ages with be able to study to gain a first, fully funded Level 3 in qualifications that are valued by employers.