Josh MacAlister

As a former secondary school citizenship teacher, that is music to my ears. Understandably, the current focus of the LLE and the adult skills agenda is, rightly, very much on ensuring that people can get that route into the dignity, pride and security that comes from work. Given some of the threats and challenges that our democracy faces, there are wider debates about how we ensure that not only our institutions, but our society is more resilient and deeply democratic. Education is crucial to that. As a Government, we are investing in education and skills training through the adult skills fund, which has been referenced by a number of Members. It is worth £1.4 billion a year and supports adults to access skills training up to and including level 3, so it sits just below the LLE. That covers a broad range of provision. By fostering adult learning through the ASF, we are not only supporting learners to gain the literacy, numeracy, digital and other vocational skills that they need for meaningful employment, but driving sustained economic growth and innovation. I welcome news highlighted in this debate by my hon. Friend the Member for Easington (Grahame Morris) of the restoration of the union learning fund by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in September. It aims to generate 180,000 learning opportunities through the restoration of that fund and speaks to not only the values of the Labour party, but the demonstrable evidence of collaboration between industry and workers when it comes to the pipeline of future talent and skills that are needed in the economy. As the Member of Parliament for Whitehaven and Workington, I am very proud to represent those people who work at Sellafield, which has a very strong history of union engagement in learning opportunities. Good careers advice is an essential part of lifelong learning. It gives people the confidence to make informed choices, whether they are leaving school, moving into work or retraining later in life. For young people, we are strengthening careers guidance and expanding meaningful work experience opportunities. Strong careers provision is associated with an 8% lower likelihood of becoming not in education, employment or training, with twice the impact in the most disadvantaged schools. That is why we the Government are turning that evidence into practical action. We want every young person to benefit from two weeks’ worth of meaningful work experience built up over time during secondary school, rather than through a single placement. That will obviously have an impact later in those young people’s early adult lives. Careers hubs have already been testing that approach with more than 2,500 young people, 66 schools and 114 employers. For adults, the developing jobs and careers service will bring careers and employment support together. It will help people find work, progress or retrain as jobs and skills change in the economy. There is a whole range of other matters that we have not had time to cover in this debate. Those include the role of devolution in adult skills funding, changes that were made by this Government to the funding formula for adult skills in 2024, and changes to the apprenticeship levy. All of those will help in the effort that my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley has highlighted by securing this important debate. I also put on record my thanks to the u3a organisation highlighted by my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Michael Payne). To wrap up, I once again thank my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley for securing this debate and thank all of those who have contributed to today’s discussion. Although we have not had time to cover every base, it has been an important debate and one that needs to continue in the months and years ahead. I welcome further discussions and engagement on the issues considered today. Question put and agreed to.