Learning and Skills Council

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Cheylesmore House, Cheylesmore, Coventry.

The Learning and Skills Council is a non-departmental public body reporting to both the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and Department of Children, Schools and families in England. Until June 2007, it reported to the former Department for Education and Skills). It is responsible for planning and funding further education (post-16 education and training other than higher education) in England. It was established in April 2001, under the Learning and Skills Act 2000, and in 2006 it had a budget of £10.4 billion.^[1] It was described as Britain's largest Quango.^[2] On 17 March 2008 the abolition of the LSC was announced; funding responsibilities for 16-19 year old learners will transfer to local education authorities and a new Skills Funding Agency will distribute funding for adult learners in Further Education colleges.^[3]^[4]

The LSC replaced the Training and Enterprise Councils and the Further Education Funding Council for England. The equivalent body in Wales was ELWa.

1 Organisation
2 Restructuring
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
- 5.1 News items

[edit] Organisation

The LSC has a national office in Cheylesmore House, Cheylesmore, Coventry, and it also has 9 regional offices and 47 local offices for the 47 local Learning and Skills Councils. Its Cheylesmore House office is known as a national office rather than a head office/headquarters. This is because the chief executive insists that local offices have the freedom of doing what they want in the interest of local communities. The national office does not tell the local offices which programmes (courses) they need to offer. Albeit the national office produces guidelines, processes and targets for local offices to adhere to.

[edit] Restructuring

It was announced in 2005 that this configuration will change as part of the Agenda for Change (Redundancies) programme resulting in more of a streamlined formation with more focus on the regional dimension with the loss of around 1300 jobs (500 from the Coventry HQ, the remainder from local offices).

This process was being challenged by the PCS Union, with a strike that took place on 28 April 2006, and a work-to-rule commencing in May 2006. The work-to-rule ceased on the 26 June 2006 after agreement was reached by both PCS and LSC representivies.

Although management and administration has been restructured on regional lines, the 47 local Learning and Skills councils have been retained.

This change process is still ongoing, however since Gordon Brown has replaced Tony Blair other Ministerial and Departmental changes have taken place. The new Prime Minister announced the creation of three new government departments. Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF),Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR).

Department for Children, Schools and Families. DCSF will be responsible for education, children and youth issues affecting people up to the age of 19.

Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. DIUS will be responsible for adult learning, further and higher education, skills, science and innovation

Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The DBERR will be responsible for promoting productivity, enterprise, competition and trade.