The Association of Colleges (AoC) has written to new education recovery commissioner Sir Kevan Collins proposing a recovery task group to support learners unable to progress into higher learning.

In a letter to Sir Kevan, AoC chief executive David Hughes said it was clear that the coronavirus pandemic had affected “every one of us, including every child and young person. However, I believe that there are some groups for whom the impact will be more profound and potentially longer lasting.”

He said Sir Kevan would be aware how important it was to focus energy on those who have had particular challenges during lockdowns, such as those without access to digital devices and the internet, those with mental health conditions and those who have suffered loss or have been subject to the virus themselves.

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“I want to urge you, though, to also focus on young people leaving education this year. Large numbers of school and college leavers this summer will successfully progress in learning on to higher level and higher education courses. Many, though, will not.

“Traditionally, the latter would progress into apprenticeships or into jobs. Sadly, this year those opportunities will be few and far between, and most forecasts are for a large increase in youth unemployment. Because of lose learning and shifts in the labour market, many of this cohort will struggle to access jobs in potential growth sectors without further training.

“My worry is that because of lost learning, this year’s leavers are even more likely to suffer unless we act now and over the coming couple of years. There are programmes funded to support but they lack coherence and, as they stand, are unlikely to work for large numbers of those who have particularly suffered from lost learning.”

Mr Hughes proposed the establishment of “a youth skills recovery task and finish group to work in this area”. He said that group would need to be able to look at lost learning and the wider labour market context.

According to the AoC, it would also bring together organisations such as employer organisations and other stakeholders alongside relevant government departments, to work with the commissioner to mitigate against the impact that lost learning will have on children and young people. It would also bring coherence and help deliver better short and longer-term outcomes.

Last week, the Scottish government set up a task force to make sure students can complete their college courses. The group includes representatives of colleges and universities, students, education unions and the Scottish government, and is chaired by further education, higher education and science minister Richard Lochhead. 

The group will consider the challenges that colleges and universities face in delivering practical learning as a result of the current Covid-19 restrictions, with the immediate priority for the task force being to help students complete their courses and move into further study or employment. It will also consider arrangements if some students need to defer a part of their course.

A Westminster government spokesperson said: “We recognise that school and college closures have had a significant impact on the education of young people across the country and that disruption will have been felt differently by individual students, depending on their circumstances.

“Sir Kevan Collins, in his role as education recovery commissioner, will work with parents, teachers, schools and colleges to develop a long-term plan to make sure children and young people have the chance to make up their lost education over the course of this Parliament.”