Political leaders like to put forward guiding ideas or themes which pull their individual decisions into a broader narrative. For John Major it was Back to Basics, for Tony Blair it was the Third Way and for David Cameron it is the Big Society. While Mr. Blair relied on Lord Giddens to add intellectual weight to his idea, Mr. Cameron's legacy idea…

In the wake of the general election, the new government--and the United Kingdom--face a range of pressing challenges. In this article, the author sets out what he believes to be the principal challenges and calls for action to create a learning society. The agenda set out would, if followed by the new government, pave the way to a genuine learning…

The government is consulting the sector on a new skills strategy and a simplified funding system for further education (FE). Some of the leading players were asked what they made of the government's vision and what they would like to see in the strategy. Brendan Barber warns that spending cuts will undermine many of the positive proposals in the…

On 11 November the Government published its third skills strategy for England in six years (quite apart from Lord Leitch's "Review of Skills" commissioned by the Treasury). Entitled "Skills for Growth: the national skills strategy," this White Paper, together with a separate analytical paper and a "Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11," published on…

Most people involved in post-16 education and training do not know enough about the public financing of adult learning. Whether learners, teachers or administrators, people prefer very often to look at the microdetails that they understand--the fees they or their students pay, the salaries they earn, what their departments or institutions will let…

Recent policy reports by Lord Leitch and Sir Michael Lyons on educational skills and corresponding government spending raise the question of how a demand-led system for adult skills led by employers can operate concurrent with intertwined policies driven by different factors. There is also the need to integrate with regional policy and policies…

Reviews British political party proposals for individual learning accounts, designed to give adults purchasing power for further education and training. Raises concerns about effects on existing employee development programs and other potential problems. (SK)