The government must guarantee a high-quality, education or training place for every 16- to 18-year-old, support adults who lose their jobs to retrain, and offer a suite of work-focuses training programmes in the wake of coronavirus, the Association of Colleges has said.

In its recovery plan, published today, the AoC urges the government to take bold and necessary action to reduce the “post-furlough” shock, minimise the effects of coronavirus on the economy and prepare to rebuild the country. 

Its plan would support 764,000 people, the AoC says, adding that colleges are ready to deliver skills provision in every community across the country. 

News: Call for adult skills boost to stem unemployment crisis

More: How our college is leading the way on economic recovery

Background: Give every young person an FE place in September, says AoC

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said that it will be the most disadvantaged young people who will suffer from the impact on the economy.

He said: “Every community in the UK has a thriving college that works with hundreds of local employers to develop their workforce and anticipate their future needs. That makes colleges perfectly placed to offer education and training in what business needs and to ensure a strong pipeline of nurses and care workers, construction workers, engineers, designers and so much more.

“Government was bold with its furlough scheme, we are asking for the same in education and training. Colleges are ready to create a flexible, high quality and properly funded training and education offer, which would make sure we have the best prepared young people and adults in the world, ready to rebuild.”

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I welcome the Association of Colleges’ call for a skills-led recovery. The wide-ranging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic mean we have to make sure the skills and employment system is able to give Londoners the education, retraining and support they need as the city starts to recover. I will continue to lobby Government for more funding for adult education and better coordination of employment and skills provision across the capital.”

AoC’s plan would cost the treasury £3.6 billion. It asks the government to:

1. Guarantee a high-quality education or training place for every 16 to 18 year old, funded to meet their needs and the learning lost.
2. Offer a suite of work-focused training programmes, including expanded traineeships and apprenticeships designed to get young people into jobs as soon as they become available. This should include a comprehensive bursary system and incentives for employers.
3. Provide support for adults who lose their jobs to train or retrain flexibly up to higher-level technical/professional level, aimed at getting them back into the workforce as quickly as possible, with additional training to manage their transition once back in work.

Without such a plan put in place, the AoC warns that there will be a reduction in apprenticeship places, large numbers of adults that require training, large numbers of young people needing support to catch-up in their education and increased demand for college places.