A new report from a Commons Select Committee has condemned the Government’s handling of the capital crisis in Further Education.
The Committee found that a "heinously complicated" management structure at the Learning and Skills Council led to dozens of projects being approved even though money had run out.
Out of over 180 projects submitted to the LSC, many of which received Approval in Principle, only 13 have proceeded to the next stage of consideration.
David Willetts, the Shadow Secretary for Universities and Skills, stressed the report “pins the blame squarely on Ministers”:
“Colleges were told to “big-up” their building projects, yet no one had oversight of the total capital programme. The report suggests Ministers knew about the problems much earlier than they have admitted – by September 2008 rather than late November.”
He added, “Further Education colleges, which want to focus on reskilling and upskilling during the recession, continue to stare a huge financial crisis in the face. Unfortunately, the biggest losers are unemployed people, low-skilled people and employers wanting to train their staff.”
David will today host a Further Education and Skills Forum, which will provide an opportunity to talk directly to the sector about the existing capital crisis, as well as the newly-emerging crisis in apprenticeship funding.