Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect on further education of the 33 per cent decline in the number of Level 3 qualifications awarded to adults between 2010-11 and 2016-17.

Funding is in place to support adult learning through the Adult Education Budget and Advanced Learner Loans and we are doing more to encourage adults into learning and retraining.

We have recently announced major reviews into post-18 funding and Level 4/5 provision which aim to make sure all stages of tertiary education are adequately supported. This will provide learners with the best chance in life and make sure the economy has the skills base it needs to thrive. Together with ongoing sector support, this will take us further towards increased awareness and take-up of adult learning opportunities.

We are also investing in identifying the barriers to adult learning – at the Spring Budget 2017 we announced Career Learning Pilots to test new approaches to tackling the barriers to learning for adults over the next two years. The Flexible Learning Fund, is providing funding of £11.7 million to support 32 innovative projects across England. The Fund is encouraging more people to take part in new training or courses that will help them progress in current employment or secure a new job. It will will provide important evidence about what works, and what does not, to tackle the barriers that prevent adults from accessing learning, which will support the development of the National Retraining Scheme.