Officials have apologised to councils involved in a “back door” skills devolution pilot for failing to consult them properly before increasing adult education funding powers in their areas.
The trial, which the Department for Education denies is a formal devolution, will hand adult education cash to 11 councils to test “a theory” that they are better placed than Whitehall to address local skills needs.
As revealed by FE Week in March, each pilot council could gain control of up to 70 per cent of their area’s adult skills fund allocation, worth a total of at least £7.8 million, from August.
The pilot suggests the government could devolve control of adult education funding at an even faster pace than set out in its recent devolution white paper.
Training providers operating in the 11 areas were told their nationally funded programmes would “not be fundable” as local councils were getting the cash.
Some areas surprised
But when FE Week approached the councils seeking more information in March, some were surprised to learn they had been named in the DfE’s pilot list, and suggested there had been “confusion” as they sought clarity from the department.
A DfE policy official admitted in an email last week, seen by FE Week, that local authority devolution teams should have been fully briefed on the plans.
The email said: “We have been communicating with the adult learning arm of the [local authorities] involved in this pilot, but understand and appreciate we would have been better served including devolution colleagues in those conversations as well, and we apologise for that oversight where this hasn’t occurred.”
Under the pilot, nationally contracted independent training providers will lose funding in the affected areas from August to “avoid duplication of provision”.
The DfE has not publicly announced the one-year pilot, but stated in the email it wants to support areas preparing for full devolution in 2026.
The local authorities involved are: Devon County Council, Torbay Council, Lincolnshire County Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, North Lincolnshire Council, Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Warwickshire County Council, Buckinghamshire Council, Norfolk County Council and Suffolk County Council.
Officials have told local authorities they could take charge of between 29 and 69 per cent of their adult skills funding – which for Norfolk County Council would be a spending increase of £1.5 million.
Local authorities told FE Week they do not know why some councils have been offered lower increases than others.
Not all have accepted the additional funding. Warwickshire County Council said it was yet to “secure clarity on funding that is being offered” and “how this has been invested previously”.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Skills are crucial for our mission to grow the economy through our Plan for Change.
“We know that local leaders are best-placed to advise on local skills needs. That’s why we have invited local authorities to take part in this pilot scheme.
“We have communicated with providers, including local authorities, directly affected by this pilot. We continue to have positive conversations, and will update in due course.”
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