Agenda item

The committee considered a report on the conclusions of the Adult Education Budget scrutiny review. The review was led by Councillor Lisa Trickett, Chair of the Productivity & Skills and Inclusive Growth Working Group, and Councillor Joe Tildesley. Various meetings were held with Overview & Scrutiny Committee members from each of the seven constituent local authorities, joined by their Cabinet Member for Education & Skills.

The scrutiny review presented the following recommendations:

Recommendation 1

Through the commissioning process, WMCA should ensure that:

(a)       all providers in receipt of Adult Education Budget funding demonstrate an understanding of the communities that they were delivering to;

(b)       all providers in receipt of Adult Education Budget funding demonstrate a commitment to collaborate with other providers and the local authority to deliver the best service for communities;

(c)        the potential for duplication of activity was limited;

(d)       there was a reduction in the number of providers operating in the region; and

(e)       providers funded through Adult Education Budget funding should demonstrate links with local communities and local employers wherever possible.

Recommendation 2

(a)       WMCA to develop a method of tracking learner destinations in relation to Adult Education Budget funding in order to demonstrate the impact of devolution, and that this methodology should include the voice of the learner; and

(b)       WMCA to set clear, measurable targets to demonstrate the impact of Adult Education Budget funding.

Recommendation 3

(a)       Adult Education Budget funding should be deployed as part of a pathway into employment, with its role in relation to other funding streams and programmes clearly identified.

(b)       Further work be undertaken to identify measures to be put in place that demonstrated how the Adult Education Budget was used to support pathways into employment and further learning.

Recommendation 4

(a)       WMCA should increase the amount of provision delivered in priority skills sectors, as identified within the Regional Skills Plans; and

(b)       WMCA should ensure that all Adult Education Budget-funded employability courses added value to an individual’s journey into employment.

Recommendation 5

WMCA to work with local authorities to understand the potential role of the Adult Education Budget in supporting learners with additional needs and in shaping provision to respond to this.

Recommendation 6

WMCA to consider how the distribution of Adult Education Budget funding could be adjusted over time to better align with patterns of need across the region.

Recommendation 7

(a)       WMCA to consider how the Adult Education Budget could be used to address these barriers, particularly through the innovation strand of its commissioning approach; and

(b)       WMCA to explore how other sources of funding (eg. travel subsidies) could be connected with Adult Education Budget funded provision to support learners to access courses.

Recommendation 8

Adult Education Budget-funded ‘English for Speakers of Other Languages’ provision to develop a contextual element, so that residents were supported to develop the vocabulary required to enter employment in priority skills areas. 

It was recommended to the WMCA Board that:

(1)       The recommendations of the Adult Education Budget scrutiny review be approved for considered by the Skills Advisory Board.

(2)       That all participants in the review be given an opportunity to comment and feed in any additional thoughts prior to consideration by the Skills Advisory Board, subject to agreement of the Chair.