The body that represents further education colleges in Wales has warned that Adults who want to enrol at college to learn new skills are being turned away in increasing numbers. Colleges are being told that scarce public funds must be spent elsewhere.
They have pointed out that whilst more 16-year olds are choosing to study full time at college, the Welsh Assembly Government’s draft budget makes clear that those teenagers can only be accommodated by freezing out adults looking to upskill or reskill in today’s changing and challenging economy.
They say that most colleges have traditionally enrolled many more students than provided for by Welsh Assembly Government funding. That is, colleges have made efficiency gains year on year in order to help as many people as possible get the education they want. But with two challenging budgets in the last two years and warnings in the current draft Welsh Assembly Government budget that Ministers expect colleges to do even more with ever less, colleges have had to make deep cuts
This week we have had the Government claiming that they want to change the way they approach economic policy. They have made much of the need to up-skill the workforce, but the budget will do the exact opposite.
It is simply irresponsible to cut already overstretched budgets in an area which is in ever increasing demand. How can Government politicians tell workers to up-skill, while cutting back the main means by which they can do this?
Money is tight, but why on earth would you choose to cut the main levers for economic recovery during a recession? This Government’s economic policy is beginning to look like a complete shambles.
Fforwm’s press release can be found here.
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