"Today the Labour Party committed to rebuilding public services and championing working people. But how can they do this by eliminating vital courses for adults that not only provide a pathway into good work but also tackle some of the biggest social challenges, from mental health to connecting communities.
After decades of underfunding, the spectre of significant cuts still hangs over adult learning - 6% cuts from the national Adult Skills Fund and 3% from the regional. This may help the Chancellor to meet her stability rule but at the cost of lost opportunity for many people.
These cuts put at risk the very future of adult learning in the UK at a time when it has never been more necessary. The Labour Party has always been the closest ally and loudest advocate of adult learning, but this cut will destroy the legacy they helped create. By the time the Spending Review is delivered, it will be too late for most community learning organisations to plan their curriculum.
Technical skills aren't the only mode of education needed to enable working people to thrive in employment. Those furthest from the labour market deserve investment and support. The cuts to welfare benefits budgets will impact many of those participating in community adult learning. Around a third of WEA learners are in receipt of benefits and often these will be learners who require the most support to progress. A cut in adult education budgets coinciding with challenging new benefit rules will remove a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable in our communities."
