The report into the failure of the Individual Learning Account scheme, which
folded in November last year, has recommended that employers should be involved
in the promotion of any replacement initiative.
The scheme, which entitled people to grants of up to £200 towards
educational courses, was launched in September 2000 but collapsed after it was
revealed that some registered training providers were making bogus claims.
The report also calls for a replacement scheme to be set up, for adults who
only have GCSE qualifications rather than the previous approach where all
adults over 19 were eligible for ILAs regardless of their qualifications.
The CIPD called for any future scheme to provide funding for individual
learning using bankor building society accounts rather than the previous
voucher system.
Jennifer Schramm, training and development advisor, said: "In Sweden,
they use a real account only available to people on low incomes, topped up by
the government. Whatever is in the account when the person retires is
pensionable."
