Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the impact that the introduction of an outcomes based funding model will have on educational opportunities for (a) 16-24 year olds, and (b) those aged 24 and above, who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), or have additional needs.

The Skills for Jobs white paper sets out the government’s vision to simplify and streamline funding for further education to ensure everyone – including those who are not in education, employment or training or have additional needs – is able to access high value provision that is relevant to labour market needs and job opportunities. These changes will enable colleges and other skills providers to deliver the skills programmes and qualifications to support progression into further learning and respond to employer demand, supporting people to use their learning to enter the labour market, upskill and/or change careers.

This will be an integral part of our lifetime skills guarantee. By taking a focus on learner outcomes, we will incentivise colleges and skills providers to review their provision to ensure it leads to meaningful progression and employment for their learners, including the important focus on those learners with complex needs or learning difficulties.

A key part of this system will be supporting the collaboration between colleges and skills providers through local skills improvement plans. The department is testing detailed elements with the sector and will be setting out proposals in a full consultation later this year.