Andrew Gwynne, Labour candidate for Denton and Reddish, has welcomed Labour’s policies on lifelong learning, which would provide opportunities for adults to study and retrain throughout their lives.
The plans, announced in Blackpool today by Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner and Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, would enable adults to return to study for free and ensure everyone has the time and support they need to study and retrain.
In order to ensure that everyone can access education and training throughout their life, Labour is pledging to:
- Enable any adult without A-level or equivalent qualification to attend college and study for them for free;
- Give every adult a free entitlement to six years of study for qualifications at level 4-6 (undergraduate degrees and equivalents such as Higher National Certificates and Diplomas, Foundation Degrees, Certificates and Diplomas of Higher Education in areas such as rail engineering technicians, nursing associates, and professional accounting technicians);
- Provide maintenance grants for low income adult learners to complete their courses;
- Give workers the right to paid time off for education and training;
- Give employers a role in designing qualifications to make sure training is equipping learners with the right skills;
- Support workplace learning and improve basic skills by reversing cuts to the Union Learning Fund;
- Make sure everyone has access to the information they need to return to study through a national careers advice service.
Andrew Gwynne said:
“Under the Tories, it has become harder and harder for adults to return to education or retrain to get the skills that they need to progress.
“The plans outlined today show that a Labour Government would put an end to this and give people the opportunities that they need to study or train – this is particularly important in a jobs market that is constantly changing.
“These proposals would unlock the potential in millions of people who the Tories have discarded and would transform communities across our country.”
Angela Rayner, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said:
“Labour will throw open the door for adults to study, whether they want to change career, are made redundant or didn’t get the qualifications they needed when they were younger.
“For many, adult education is too expensive, too time-consuming or too difficult to get into.
“People have been held back for too long. We will make free education a right to ensure we have the skills we need to allow our economy to rise to the opportunities of the future.
“We’ll make sure no one is shut out of education by giving people the support, time and funding they need to train so that we have the skills we need to meet the changing nature of work and tackle the climate emergency.”