The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has revealed to FE Week that the new FE loans system will be called “24+ Advanced Learning Loans” when it’s introduced next year. A BIS spokesperson told FE Week: “It is important that the name for the loans reflects the type of learners and learning that it will apply to. “The vast majority of public funding for further education will continue to be grant funded, with loans representing between 10-15 per cent of the total FE budget.” The spokesperson added: “After carrying out testing with a sample of learners we have chosen the name “24+ Advanced Learning Loans”. “This describes the loan offer which covers learners aged 24 and above studying at level 3 and above.” (Note: Look out for coverage of the roundtable debate on FE loans, held by FE Week, in our next printed edition)
John Field 9 May 2012 Instantly unmemorable. How much did they pay the brand management adviser? The serious point is that colleges will be able to think about how they promote this, and I hope most will be sensible enough to find a shorter and simpler name.
jayne Stigger 9 May 2012 24+ALL – well the name matches the product! Overly complicated and misses the target.
Paul Tibbetts 9 May 2012 BIS Advanced Learning Loan’s. I wonder what people will abbreviate that to be?
Louise Gambling 9 May 2012 How does this remotely convey what an FE Loan is offering? Talk about wordy!
Mark C 10 May 2012 How about taking Apples lead in branding, seems to work quite well. The “iLearningLoan’. ‘I= Individual’