Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has of the effect of people accessing the adult education budget on employment outcomes.

Government funding for adult skills provision is prioritised where its impact is greatest, focussing on young adults, those with low skills and unemployed people who are actively seeking work. The principal purpose of the adult education budget is to help adults aged 19 and over get the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

There are many benefits to gaining a further education qualification, including an increase in earnings, an increase in the chance of being employed and a reduced chance of claiming benefits. These are highlighted in the report ‘Estimation of the labour market returns to qualifications gained in English further education’, particularly on page 12. This report can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-comparing-labour-market-economic-benefits-from-qualifications-gained.