The Government’s White Paper “Getting Britian Working”, puts partnership working, the development of essential skills for all and a place-based approach at the heart of delivering on all the Government’s missions and this is welcomed by the WEA.
It feels important that this White Paper is “sponsored” by the Chancellor, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. This is exactly the joined-up approach to government that is needed if we are to make progress on the biggest challenges we face across the United Kingdom.
It is pleasing to see that at the beginning of the foreword there is an acknowledgement that nine million adults lack the basic (we would call them essential) skills they need to get on. The early commitment to “genuine partnership” working across all sectors is also welcomed. The role which the WEA and other voluntary sector organisations can play in surfacing and promoting the adult learner voice is important here.
Throughout the paper there is comment on the intersectionality of factors which contribute to people being “economically inactive”. Health conditions (physical and mental), disabilities, caring responsibilities, poverty (both in work and out of work) and low skill levels are all highlighted as areas for attention. This again is important, as it highlights the need for a highly personalised approach rather than a “one size fits all”.
Understanding personal circumstances, support needs and ambitions is key to creating pathways which overcome real barriers, builds individual confidence, supports adults to obtain the skills they want and need and to succeed both in terms of work and improved life chances. Indeed, it is precisely this kind of “tailored” approach which community adult learning providers have specialised in for decades.
Confidence, health and skills for work (and life) are key outcomes in adult learning. Every year our impact report shows WEA learners reporting improvements against all of those headings. All of these outcomes will be needed to get Britain working. They will only be achieved if the supporting framework is enabling rather than punitive.
Progression cannot be rushed – an individual’s confidence and trust must be built first and then skills and motivation will follow. Support must be built around an individual's health and wellbeing needs. In community learning settings we see this kind of journey all the time – adults who have faced barriers which have held their learning back for years making the breakthrough towards their first qualification, a better job or a personal goal.
Ministers have already said that the reforms aim to change the perception of Job Centres to be places where both employers and those seeking support feel they can make progress through tailored support. The WEA is, in fact, already working with Job Centre Plus in some areas to provide connections to adult learning. We note that the White Paper talks about aligning JCP more clearly with Mayoral Combined Authority areas and this may also help achieve better linkage with the devolved Adult Skills Fund. We also hope that the trailblazer area in Wales as well as the further discussions with the devolved government in Scotland will offer opportunities for community adult learning to be involved early on in developing a new framework.
In England, we look forward to contributing to the local Get Britain Working Plans and speaking with the Mayoral Combined Authorities who will be leading on these. Engagement with the local voluntary sector, including the community learning sector, will be key.
In a parallel development, the Civil Society Covenant, which will be launched fully in the new year, provides a clear framework for a new collaborative way of working between Government and the Voluntary & Community Sector. The roll out of the cross-departmental and cross-sector Get Britain Working initiatives will be an important early test of the new framework and we are ready to play our part.
