| SPOTLIGHT |
The County Councils Network has urged the Government to fast-track devolution deals and give greater powers to local councils in order to tackle the falling number of adults in education and apprenticeship schemes.
In response to CCN research on the topic, the CCN’s Chair, Cllr Tom Oliver, said deals should be fast-tracked, “including agreements without the need for a mayor, in order to equip local areas with the adult education budgets and powers to incentivise local participation and address skills shortages”.
The network has also called for the Apprenticeship Levy to be devolved to local areas rather than being nationally set.
The levy was introduced in 2017 to increase apprenticeships, but in county areas, there has been a 6% decline in the five years since its introduction, with over 20,000 fewer people taking part in apprenticeships in 2022 compared to 2017, the CCN research highlights.
Alongside completing existing and new directly elected leader and mayoral devolution deals, the CCN called on the Government to fast-track its devolution agenda in more county areas, ending the sole focus on mayoral deals to allow more areas to agree on deals in areas that are not suited to a mayor, in order to give local leaders the tools to address skills shortages.
The CCN says that the Government should also restore the adult education budget to its 2010 level of £3bn a year.
Data compiled by the CCN show that the overall number of adults taking part in adult education, training, traineeships and apprenticeships in county areas last year dropped by almost 200,000 people - a fall of 19% - compared to 2018.
CCN argues that this suggests the national approach to adult education and skills is no longer working, sparking its call for the Government to equip county and unitary authorities with new powers and budgets to address the decline.
The call comes amid a stall in devolution deals, with none being agreed this year, compared to six in 2022.
Cllr Tim Oliver, Chairman of the County Councils Network, said: “Despite clear evidence showing the benefits of adult education and the Government’s efforts to improve numbers, there has been a half-decade of decline in participation in England’s counties, with the number of people falling by a fifth over the last five years: contributing to the present skills and labour shortages in many local areas.
“Well-intentioned national reforms, such as the Apprenticeship Levy, are no longer working, having failed to address the decline in apprenticeships. We need all hands to the pump to kick-start the economy, and we are calling for an adult education revolution where powers are devolved to local areas so we can devise local solutions to local challenges.
“The Government must fast-track further devolution deals as soon as possible, including agreements without the need for a mayor, in order to equip local areas with the adult education budgets and powers to incentivise local participation and address skills shortages. But we are calling for ministers to be bold too and devolve the Apprenticeship Levy to local areas as well as restoring the adult education budget to 2010 levels.”
Adam Carey
