Major expansion in FE funding for adults 

Adults over the age of 23 in England without a full level 3 qualification will be entitled to one for free from next April, the Government has announced.

The Lifetime Skills Guarantee will provide fully funded courses to those without a level 3 qualification (A levels or equivalent), paid for through the National Skills Fund. A full list of available courses will be set out shortly.

Higher Education loans will also be made more flexible, allowing adults and young people to space out their learning across their lifetimes and take more vocational courses in FE colleges and universities. 

Apprenticeship opportunities will be increased and flexibilities explored, and £8m will go towards digital skills boot camps.

The FE White Paper will be published later this year and consultations on these propsals will also be launched. 

The Lifetime Skills Guarantee marks a step towards implementing recommendations from Sir Phillip Augar’s review of HE finance, and also towards preparing people for the post-Covid economy. 

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