College student suicide risk on the rise, ‘stark’ report reveals

Urgent calls have been made by colleges for more resources to support student mental health after a new survey found nine in ten colleges reported attempted suicide by learners in the last year.

The Association of Colleges’ 2023 mental health survey found that more than 80 per cent of colleges had referred a learner to A&E as a result of mental health needs, as 95 per cent of colleges say they have seen an increase in mental health disclosures among their 16 to 18 students.

The report said that colleges face a “tsunami of need” as demand for wellbeing services soared, but praised the efforts of the sector to bolster measures in recent years with more mental health policies, boosted training for staff and counselling provision for learners.

The survey published this week gathered views from 82 general FE colleges, 13 sixth form colleges, six specialist colleges and four from academies and independent specialist colleges. It found that nine in ten colleges were aware of a learner or learners who had attempted suicide in the last 12 months.

It reported that 70 per cent of the 79 respondents to that question had seen an increase in attempts, which totalled 1,357 in the last year.

The report said it demonstrated the need to expand suicide first aid training, with only 61 per cent of colleges citing that as part of their staff development programme and a third of colleges not being engaged in the local suicide prevention plan.

Elsewhere, eight in ten colleges had made an A&E referral for a learner’s mental health in the last year – 560 in total, or nine referrals per provider average.

It comes amid a backdrop of increasing mental health concerns as 95 per cent reported a slight or significant increase in 16 to 18 learners disclosing a mental health need and 82 per cent of colleges saying a significant number of students were experiencing mental health needs without a formal disclosure.

According to the survey, the biggest drivers of student mental health difficulties were circumstances at home (90 per cent), Covid-19 (85 per cent), social media (77 per cent) and gender identity (72 per cent).

Other reasons reported included exam stress, cost of living, money worries, employment, and drugs and alcohol.

Olly Parker, head of external affairs at mental health charity YoungMinds, said: “It is concerning that so many students are struggling with their mental health and that there has been an increase in those reaching crisis. We know from speaking to young people that the last year has been one of the most challenging for this age group, emerging from the pandemic to more limited prospects for their futures, an increase in academic pressure to catch up on lost learning, and a cost of living crisis.”

The organisation has called on the government to commit to a four-week waiting time to ensure young people do not get worse while waiting for help.

The AoC’s report, however, found that despite tight finances in the sector, colleges had been making huge efforts to provide support.

It said that 90 per cent had appointed senior mental health leads, three quarters had dedicated mental health policies for students and staff, 100 per cent were running wellbeing sessions for students, 86 per cent had delivered general mental health awareness training for staff and 96 per cent had trained mental health first aiders.

The findings said that 68 per cent of respondents were now employing their own counsellors (on average two part time and one full time counsellor per provider) while a further 36 per cent bought in counselling support from external organisations.

Stuart Rimmer, chief executive of East Coast College and chair of the AoC’s mental health and wellbeing policy group, said: “It does paint a stark picture of the position of colleges right now, and in the context of that the underfunding of the broad aspects of the public sector.

“The issues presenting to colleges are increasing in volume and the issues are becoming more acute for colleges. The reality is that this is now sucking a huge amount of resource in colleges which fundamentally we are not paid for.”

Rimmer said ringfenced funding for mental health measures would be helpful, but praised the efforts of colleges.

He added: “If colleges did not do this work, there would be cause to worry gravely for the mental health outcomes of many displaced or forgotten sections of society now supported by their local college.”

Jen Hope, mental health policy lead at the AoC, said: “Faced with huge disruption, budget restraints and massive uncertainty, colleges have worked hard during these challenging times to support students with their mental health and wellbeing.”

In addition, staff mental health concerns were raised as 62 per cent of colleges reported an increase in staff accessing mental health services. Recurrence of existing mental health issues and high workloads were the two biggest reasons given for those, with others including Covid-19, caring duties, cost of living fears and job uncertainty.

The report said there was a lack of specialist support and timely access to it in both colleges and the wider community health services, while the lack of funding was impacting the overall effectiveness of support measures.

The report referenced the government’s announcement in January that it would pump £150 million by April 2025 into 150 new urgent and emergency mental health facilities, but said that while this will help it “does not go far enough”.

The AoC’s commitments in the report included dedicated research on learner mental health, regular reporting on emerging issues, helping champion and resource staff development opportunities, and developing dedicated resources and peer-networking.

That is set to include “a suite of resources, lesson plans, workshops and awareness campaigns aimed at learners”.

It has called on government to ensure funding reaches further education providers and continued review of data around the impacts of key concerns such as Covid-19 and cost of living worries.

Colleges have been urged to conduct regular surveys of staff and learners to build an evidence base, broaden staff development to include areas such as suicide awareness training, sign the AoC’s mental health charter and engage with local health services.

Dr Nihara Krause, consultant clinical psychologist and chief executive and founder of youth mental health charity stem4 said that only a third of young people were able to access early intervention support, meaning that often by the time students reach college their difficulties are more severe.

Krause said that colleges “should be applauded for making mental health and wellbeing a priority,” and added: “If we really want to turn the tide of mental ill health in this young generation, urgent action is needed in the form of more effective evidence-based early mental health interventions. 

“And this requires meaningful investment in secondary care and access to effective mental health support in every school, college, and university across the UK, as well as specialist mental health practitioners supporting primary care providers.”

The Samaritans are available 365 days a year day or night. Call them for free on 116123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.

Unions submit 15% college pay demand to AoC

Unions have demanded an inflation-busting 15 per cent pay increase for college staff next year.

The 2023/24 pay claim request put forward jointly by the National Joint Forum collective of five unions to the Association of Colleges has demanded a retail price index increase (13.4 per cent) plus 2 per cent on all pay points – 15.4 per cent in total – as well as calls for all colleges to pay the national living wage – currently £10.42 for those aged 23 and above.

The request is above the 10.4 per cent consumer price index or 13.8 per cent retail price index inflation rate reported last month and well above the 2.5 per cent offer the AoC put forward to colleges last year.

In addition, the unions call for “significant movement” towards “meaningful national agreements to address workload in colleges,” and sector-wide agreement on a new national bargaining framework for a new national contract for FE staff.

The unions also want a commission to be formed to address climate change, looking at sustainability, new skills, climate justice and a road map to the sector becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

The five unions making the demands, which would be for introduction from August, are the University and College Union (UCU), Unison, the National Education Union (NEU), GMB and Unite.

Their submission said: “In recent years staff in FE in England have seen their pay, working conditions and professionalism undermined. The annual cycle of NJF negotiations has not resulted in meaningful and tangible outcomes that benefit staff.

“This year the joint trade unions claim seeks change. We want the outcomes of these negotiations to result in a pay rise linked to inflation and meaningful and binding agreements leading to real action to address excessive workloads and a commission to start to tackle climate change.”

It pointed out that the rise in prices workers were facing was at a 40-year high, and said that sector pay had fallen behind inflation by more than 35 per cent since 2009/10.

In response to the government negotiations with unions over school teacher pay, the AoC said that “college unions, staff and college leaders all stand on the side lines looking in, with no mechanism to negotiate”.

The association added: “Pay in colleges is just as important, particularly now that colleges are part of the public sector. With college lecturers paid around £8,000 to £10,000 less than their counterparts in schools, a better pay award for schools will widen what is already an unacceptable gap.

“Poor pay is now holding back colleges from offering training and skills because they cannot recruit and retain people to teach.”

The AoC last year proposed 2.25 per cent initially, upping its offer to 2.5 per cent. But the UCU condemned it as “beyond insulting” as the cost-of-living crisis worsened, as it fell short of its 10 per cent pay demand.

At the time, AoC chief executive David Hughes said that “the money is simply not there”, describing it as “both inadequate compared with inflation but also on the cusp of what is affordable for most colleges”.

The first meeting for negotiations between the unions and AoC is due to be held on April 19.

Keegan resists calls to rethink BTEC defunding plan

Ministers have doubled down on the timeline for defunding qualifications that overlap with T Levels, despite fierce criticism of the “dogmatic” approach.  

Some of the T Levels due to launch this autumn have been delayed but the government has insisted that funding for other level 3 qualifications, such as BTECs, will continue only if they meet strict criteria and do not overlap with the new provision. 

The government has pursued a revised 16 to 19 education landscape for 2025, pushing students to study A-levels, a T Level or an apprenticeship. 

The Department for Education will publish a list of new qualifications that will replace the current suite of BTECs and other applied generals in July 2024, for schools and colleges to start delivering in September 2025. 

In a letter last week to Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, 360 school and college leaders described the timescale as “simply not credible,” and urged her to push back the plans by at least a year. 

The delay to four of September’s new T Levels prompted further questions over whether the timeline for defunding BTEC and other applied general qualifications would change too. 

However, in a written parliamentary response this week, Keegan said: “Qualifications that overlap with the three T Levels moved back to 2024 were already due to have funding removed in 2025 and this will not change; there will still be dual running for one year.” 

“We will confirm implications for qualifications that overlap with the catering T Level when we provide an update on the timetable for introduction,” she added.  

David Hughes, the Association of Colleges chief, said the T Level delay “highlights the risks involved in implementing new qualifications”. He called for at least two full cohorts to complete each T Level before any decision on defunding other qualifications. 

James Kewin, deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association said it “makes absolutely no sense” to press on with axing existing level 3s. 

Last summer, when health and science T Level exams were regraded based on other assessments after they were deemed an inadequate measure of students’ performance, the cull of overlapping levels 3s was paused. 

“It is astonishing that DfE has not at least taken the same approach with these wave 4 T Levels. The government’s dogmatic approach to level 3 reform will leave many young people without a viable pathway to higher education or employment,” Kewin said. 

ChatGPT: Consider reviewing homework polices, DfE tells colleges

Schools and colleges “may wish to review” their homework policies amid fears about the use of artificial intelligence like ChatGPT, the Department for Education has warned. 

The department has set out its stance on generative AI in a statement published this morning.

Exam boards yesterday published their own guidance on “protecting the integrity of qualifications” from AI.

The DfE said that when used “appropriately” it has potential to reduce workload across the education sector and free up teachers’ time. 

But said schools and colleges “may wish to review homework policies, to consider the approach to homework and other forms of unsupervised study as necessary to account for the availability of generative AI”. 

It follows reports of schools abandoning homework essays because of AI.

Schools and colleges should also “review and strengthen” their cyber security as AI could “increase the sophistication and credibility of attacks”. 

Students should be protected from harmful online content and personal, sensitive data should not be entered into AI tools, DfE said. 

The department warned the quality and content of any final documents – such as administrative plans – remains the “professional responsibilities of the person who produces it and the organisation they belong to.” 

Education sector has ‘lagged in tech adoption’

The DfE will now convene experts to work with the education sector and “share and identify best practice and opportunities to improve education and reduce workload using generative AI”. 

They say to “harness the potential” of AI, students will need to be “knowledgeable and develop their intellectual capability”.

“The education system should support students, particularly young pupils, to identify and use appropriate resources to support their ongoing education. 

“This includes encouraging effective use of age-appropriate resources (which in some instances may include generative AI) and preventing over-reliance on a limited number of tools or resources.”

Speaking at Bett Show ed tech conference this morning, education secretary Gillian Keegan said the education sector has “often lagged in tech adoption” and is a tool schools and colleges “haven’t yet managed to get the most out of”.

She said that tech that doesn’t work is an “expensive and potentially dangerous mistake” and one that education providers “cannot afford to make”. 

Keegan believes teachers’ work could be “transformed” by AI but it’s not yet at the standard needed. 

Sector ‘moving too slow’ on AI

Education experts were quizzed by MPs on using AI in education at the science and technology committee this morning. 

Rose Luckin, professor of learned centred design at University College London, warned that the education sector doesn’t have “the in-depth knowledge about AI to be able to do a really good job.

“The technology’s moving at pace, it’s increasingly complex. Even the people developing it don’t always understand the implications of what it does. 

Daisy Christodoulou, director of education at No More Marking, said “speed matters” when responding to AI changes and that too many organsiations are “moving very, very slowly”.

“I think we need to have a good, hard look at how we assess. I do think ChatGPT has huge implications for continuous assessment and coursework,” she said. 

“I’ve heard a few suggestions about different things you could do…but some of the people making those suggestions don’t realise quite how powerful a tool like ChatGPT is.

It is capable of producing, original, very hard to detect, relatively high-quality responses to any kind of question. We have to be looking at assessments that are in more controlled environments.”

Temporary reprieve for 5 health and science courses facing the axe

Five of the 33 health and science level 3 courses set to be axed in 2024 to pave way for T Levels – including the popular BTEC health and social care diploma – have been given a temporary reprieve.

The Department for Education has today updated the “final” list of level 3 qualifications that overlap with the first ten T Levels and face being defunded next year.

It was originally published in October but excluded courses that overlap with the health and science route amid a review of the T Level’s content, which was launched after Ofqual found last year’s exams were not fit for purpose and led to results for over 1,000 students being regraded.

The DfE’s provisional list of level 3 courses facing the chop from 2024 included 33 health and science qualifications, but today’s update has reduced this to 28.

Those that appear to be saved include City & Guilds’ diploma in adult care, NOCN’s diploma in adult care, Pearson’s BTEC national diploma in health and social care, TQUK’s diploma in healthcare support, and TQUK’s diploma in adult care.

Colleges would be particularly pleased with the continuation of Pearson’s BTEC national diploma in health and social care, which has thousands of enrolments every year and is “enormously popular and well respected by universities and employers”, according to leaders.

However, the qualifications are still expected to be defunded from 2025.

This is because in January the DfE launched the next phase of its level 3 review, which involves a new strict approvals process that all “alternative” technical and academic applied general qualifications must pass to retain their funding.

Guidance states that ministers have made the “conscious choice” to exclude “certain” academic qualifications from this process, either because the subject is “more suited to a technical qualification or because there is an associated A level”.

The only sector subject areas they will continue to fund large alternative academic qualifications include performing arts, sport leisure and creation, and crafts, creative arts and design. All large alternative academic qualifications in other subjects will not be eligible for funding from 2025.

James Kewin, deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said the publication of today’s list “highlights the absurdity” of the government’s defunding process.

He told FE Week: “On the face of it, five qualifications have been saved from the scrapheap. But while DfE was busy reviewing health and science courses, ministers decided that these courses will not be eligible for reapproval. For example, the popular BTEC diploma in health and social care won a reprieve today but will not be funded beyond 2025 in line with the DfE guidance published in January.

“This is a deeply flawed policy that is being implemented in a confused and convoluted way.”

The most popular course set to be lost from 2024 is NCFE’s CACHE technical level 3 certificate in health and social care, which had 4,010 enrolments in 2020/21.

All 28 health and science qualifications to be defunded next year had a total of 11,930 enrolments in 2020/21.

Skills, apprenticeships and HE minister Robert Halfon said: “The removal of funding from these qualifications follows rigorous assessment by independent assessors and an opportunity for awarding organisations to appeal their decisions.

“T Levels are rigorous qualifications that provide a great progression route into a range of occupations in the health and science sector. They are based on the same standards as apprenticeships and have their content set by employers.”

He added that students who take a health and science T Level are “well placed to progress into careers in the sector, including as health professionals, technicians and researchers”.

In total there are now 134 level 3 courses that will be axed from 2024 because they “overlap” with the first 10 T Levels, which between them had 39,570 enrolments in 2020/21.

More qualifications will be reviewed and defunded in future years as more T Levels roll out. A provisional list of qualifications that overlap with wave three and four T Levels will be released in spring 2023 and awarding organisations will be given the opportunity to appeal.

‘Heart-break’ as Qube Learning ceases trading

Qube Learning, one of the biggest training providers in England, has suddenly ceased trading.

Owner Claire Whichello informed more than 200 staff of the “heart-breaking” decision to close today, which will affect around 3,500 learners who are mostly apprentices.

In an email to staff, seen by FE Week, she said that “increased competition in the apprenticeship market, challenges regarding stagnant funding bands, uncertainty around adult education budget contracts and the expected expiry of our traineeship contracts has meant there is too much uncertainty for the business to continue”.

Staff were given until midnight to park their company cars in a secure location before their insurance expired. They were also given information on how to make a claim through the Redundency Payments Service, but were told claims couldn’t be made until the company was officially in liquidation, which isn’t expected to happen until week commencing April 17.

The decision comes just days after the Department for Education ended the provider’s HGV skills bootcamp contract.

It is unclear how big a part this contract termination played in Qube’s decision to cease trading.

One former staff member posted: “This should serve as a wake-up call for the sector, and to the DFE, otherwise there will be many more to follow. We worked in the ‘not so sexy’ sectors, care, logistics, retail and facilities, where it’s really challenging to deliver remotely, unfortunately the funding does not reflect these challenges.”

Another said: “Working at Qube, and the amazing people has been one of the proudest achievements within my career. I believe we all made a difference to so many people, employers, students and our colleagues alike.”

The company’s latest accounts are for the year ending December 31, 2021 and show a £10.9 million turnover but a loss of £590,000 compared to a profit of £744,000 the year before.

Qube holds Education and Skills Funding Agency contracts worth £3.1 million in 2022/23 for adult education, traineeships and non-levy apprenticeships. The provider’s levy-funded contracts for this year are not yet known but in 2020/21 – the latest available data – it earned £7 million worth.

It delivered training to big-name employers like Specsavers, JD Group, Matalan, BT and Greater Anglia in sectors including care, logistics, retail and facilities.

The latest apprenticeships starts data shows that in the first two quarters of this academic year (August to January), Qube started 760 apprentices. Some 440 of those were in health, public services and care. 

In the last full academic year, 2021/22, the company started 2,850 apprentices. Again, the majority, 54 per cent, were in the health, public services and care sector. 

Like most training providers, apprenticeship starts dipped during the Covid years but appeared to bounce back, exceeding pre-lockdown levels. 

In 2021/22 Qube entered the Traineeships market and became the third largest provider of with 540 starts.

In December 2022 Ofsted published a report that downgraded Qube from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’.

The provider was incorporated in 1994 and has been one of the largest independent training providers for many years.

Whichello told staff today: “On behalf of all the directors, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to every single colleague for your dedication, loyalty, professionalism and hard work. This is a heart-breaking decision to have made, but please do not lose sight of the contribution and positive impact you have made to so many students over the years.”

Teacher mentoring and leadership programmes renewed by DfE

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced £14 million to provide mentoring for new FE teachers as well as a support programme for leaders and governors over the next two years.

The DfE has signed a two-year deal with Cognition Education to deliver a teacher mentoring programme for the FE sector, which will run until the end of March 2025.

The contract is worth up to £4.2 million – £1.2 million for the contract itself and £3 million of grant funding for eligible FE providers to boost sector engagement with the mentor training programme and fund extra mentoring hours.

The programme had previously been run by the Education and Training Foundation from 2020 to 2023, but in spring last year the charity announced that the DfE had slashed some of its grant funding, estimated to be around 15 per cent.

It left expectations that some of its programmes may be re-tendered.

However, the second contract the DfE has announced today has been awarded to ETF for continuous professional development supporting leadership and governance in the sector.

It is a programme the ETF has already been delivering in previous years with other sector bodies.

Robert Halfon, minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education, said: “With more and more fantastic technical training offers being rolled out, including apprenticeships, T Levels and skills bootcamps, it is vital that we support FE teachers to deliver top class education and training.”

The teacher mentoring scheme will have a focus on helping early career teachers in the FE sector with mentoring in recognition of the extra support needed in the first few years of teaching.

The measure comes off the back of the Skills Bill, with the Skills for Jobs white paper in January 2021 explaining that “to deliver high-quality teaching, professional development must continue throughout an individual’s career”.

In the white paper, the government pledged to “take a more active role to support the sector”, and added: “We will provide effective support to new teachers moving into the sector by continuing to enable access to mentoring.”

According to the DfE, around 2,000 FE workers had undertaken training or professional development under the programme when it was run by ETF, meaning around 6,000 people have benefitted from access to a skilled mentor.

Training and development of a minimum of 600 mentors has been targeted for the new two year contract for Cognition Education, which will enable around 1,800 early career teachers to benefit from a mentor.

Cognition Education is a global education consultancy organisation founded in New Zealand, and has been operating since 1989.

Tracey Newman, UK managing director at Cognition Education said: “The support this contract offers to new FE teaching staff is invaluable and we are proud to be able to assist in the delivery of the programme to the FE sector with the teaching skills, subject knowledge and confidence they need for the benefit of their learners.”

The leadership and governance programme secured once again by ETF aims to strengthen FE leadership teams, support the growth of leadership pipelines and bolster improvement in the sector.

The DfE said it anticipates that more than 5,500 people in leadership and governance roles are set to benefit from the £9.55 million two-year programme.

The ETF is jointly owned by the Association of Colleges, HOLEX and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers.

AELP walked away from the organisation in 2018, claiming that it was “no longer an organisation run by the FE sector for the sector”, but re-joined in the last year.

Dr Katerina Kolyva joined as chief executive in February, and recently told FE Week of her ambitions to diversify income, bolster global opportunities and address issues such as sector recruitment and retention, austerity, sustainability and green skills.

On today’s announcement, Kolyva said the organisation was “delighted to continue the growth of professionalism across the FE sector”.

Kolyva added: “Effective leadership and governance are crucial to enable the sector to thrive and we welcome the opportunity to work closely with our sector partners to deliver this ambitious programme of support to existing and aspiring leaders and governors across the sector.”

T Levels: Up to £25k up for grabs in latest employer incentive

Employers are being offered up to £25,000 towards “legitimate costs” in what is the Department for Education’s latest move to increase the quality and quantity of industry placements for T Levels. 

The department announced in February that £12 million will be set aside for a new T Level employer support fund. More information has been published today, just days before the turn of the new financial year when the new fund goes live.

New guidance reveals that employers can claim up to £25,000 for costs relating to industry placements that start between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024. That figure isn’t dependent on the number of placements on offer, nor does it need to be paid back if a placement ends unexpectedly.

Colleges and other T Level providers will be responsible for making the payments to employers and making judgement calls about what to fund and when to make payments. 

T Level providers have been allocated a set amount they are able to distribute to employers. Allocations have been based on the number of T Levels students providers have told DfE they have signed up.

Any unspent funds will be clawed back in August 2024.

T Levels include a mandatory industry placement of 45 days or 315 hours with an employer.

Any organisation providing placements is eligible to make a claim, except for government department departments and their arm’s lengths bodies. This means colleges, schools and NHS trusts are technically eligible, but organisations like DfE itself, Ofsted and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education are not. 

New guidance released today alongside funding rules for providers outlines what “legitimate costs” employers can make claims for. 

This includes administrative costs like “setting up processes and procedures” as well as training for existing staff, equipment, insurance and students’ transport. 

Claims can’t be made for costs that could otherwise be funded via other streams, such as T Level revenue funding. 

Providers are ultimately accountable for what they dish out. A six-weekly data return will include a self-declaration form signed by employers confirming what they have requested the funding for. 

Employers won’t be asked to provide evidence for the costs at the point they claim – they merely sign the self-declaration – but DfE said they will conduct random spot checks on providers and employers to check on what’s been claimed. 

And if a student drops out early, or the placement ends unexpectedly for any other reason, the DfE said they do not expect employers to pay any money back to the provider, though they can if they wish.

In November, FE Week reported that just £500,000 from a previous £7 million employer support fund – 8 per cent – was used during its previous run from 2019-2022.

That scheme offered firms £750 to cover tangible placement costs in four regions of England, upped to £1,000 per placement in 2021/22.

An evaluation report published last year found that just 843 placements were supported against a target 32,466 with the fund.

Research from earlier in 2022 found that three quarters of employers had not heard of T Levels and only 7 per cent of employers not interested in offering T Level placements would change their mind if offered a £1,000 incentive.

Employer bodies, such as the Federation of Small Businesses, have however called for the reintroduction of employer cash bonuses for T Levels.

AEB funding rates boosted by 5% in Liverpool

Colleges and training providers that deliver adult education in Liverpool City Region will receive a one-off 5 per cent funding rate uplift this year to help them cope with rising costs and inflation.

The increase will apply to 2022/23 with leaders at the mayoral combined authority reviewing whether to increase the base rate again in the next academic year and beyond.

The move follows a meeting between mayor Steve Rotheram and colleges in the area who spoke of their battle with the cost-of-living crisis, particularly the challenges posed by rising energy prices as well as staffing pressures.

It comes weeks after the Education and Skills Funding Agency announced a 2.2 per cent uplift for the national adult education budget in both 2022/23 and 2023/24, which will also include an additional 20 per cent boost in “vital” subjects such as engineering and maths.

Other mayoral combined authorities have offered bigger in-year increases: both the West Midland and West Yorkshire are offering a 10 per cent boost to AEB funding rates, while London has offered a 3.5 per cent uplift.

Rotheram said: “Rising living costs mean that our learning providers are under more pressure than ever to continue delivering the high-quality training our residents need to thrive. This additional funding will enable them to continue to support both current and future learners and strengthen our skills sector.”

He added that this is an investment that “simply would not have been possible before devolution – we’re opening up doors to our residents and building a more resilient workforce along the way”.

Liverpool City Region took control of its AEB in 2019. The budget for the area totals just over £50 million annually.

The 5 per cent uplift will apply to both the 17 grant-funded colleges and local authorities that deliver AEB in the Liverpool City Region, as well as the 14 other training providers on procured contracts.