The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has warned the CBI that its repeated attacks on further education bodies will do nothing to improve the sector’s relationship with employers.
Last week, the CBI accused the LSC of presiding over a system of further education that spends £5bn a year, but allowed sub-standard courses to continue, and did not engage with employers to establish their needs.
It followed criticism last year, when a CBI survey revealed that only one-third of employers received useful information from the LSC.
But David Way, national director of skills at the LSC, said the record number of 16- to 18-year-olds staying in education and apprenticeships showed the LSC had a strong track record.
He said CBI accusations were unhelpful, and warned that they risked distracting people in the further education sector from addressing the needs of employers.
“Most college principals really want to meet the challenge to make sure employers get the service they need,” Way told Personnel Today.
“We need to work together – public criticism is not helpful in motivating the sector.”He also challenged the CBI’s findings that only 31% of firms received helpful information from the LSC.“
The LSC doesn’t directly offer a service to employers – that’s not our job – and I don’t want to see the LSC employing people just to score well on CBI surveys,” Way said. “It matters more to me getting money and support to where it’s needed.”
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