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21 Apr 2008 : Column 1592W—continued
3. Where the call centre handling calls to the Adult Learning Grant helpline is located.
The Call Centre dedicated to handling Adult Learning Grant calls is in Manchester, with a back-up site in Barrow and imminent further back-up sites in Coventry and Darlington.
4. What training is given to staff responsible for responding to calls by members of the public to the Adult Learning Grant helpline; and if he will make a statement.
Advisors undertake an initial two week training course incorporating mentoring with an experienced advisor and ongoing support and guidance from team leaders. Training continues throughout the Advisors’ employment.
5. What is the average length of time for an application for Adult Learning Grant to be processed following receipt of a completed application form.
Applications are processed and a communication to the applicant is sent within 10 days of receipt.
6. How many (a) staff and (b) full-time equivalent staff are employed to manage and operate the Adult Learning Grant helpline.
Staff levels dedicated to ALG calls vary in accordance with volumes of calls. There is a core of 7 full time staff increasing to 27 full time staff as required.
7. What is the average length of time for dispatch of an Adult Learning Grant pack following receipt of a request from a member of the public.
ALG application forms are available from learning providers, Nextstep, Connexions and Learndirect. Learndirect despatch application packs direct to applicants within two working days of the request being made, by 2nd class post. Learndirect advise callers that the application form should be with them within 7 days.
Adult Education: Numeracy
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent steps the Government has taken to improve the numeracy skills of adults. [199832]
Mr. Lammy: On 17 March the Department, working with the Learning and Skills Council, launched the first phase of a new high-profile marketing campaign to encourage adults in England to improve their numeracy skills. In addition, the Department is working with the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics and a range of partners to develop a new plan for meeting the numeracy challenge. This plan, to be published in the coming months, will ensure increased demand, supply and quality of adult numeracy provision.
Good numeracy skills are crucial to life and work. Free numeracy courses are available to adults in England through the Government’s “Skills for Life” strategy, which was launched in 2001. We are currently committed to improving the numeracy and literacy skills of 2.25 million adults by 2010. So far, 1,759,000 adults have improved their skills and gained a first qualification, and we are on course to meet the 2010 target.
Our longer term ambition, as set out in “World Class Skills”, is for 95 per cent. of adults to have functional numeracy skills by 2020, up from 79 per cent. in 2005. To achieve this trajectory the Learning and Skills Council’s recent “Statement of Priorities” set out plans to deliver 390,000 numeracy achievements at Entry Level 3 or above during the period 2008 to 2011.
Adult Education: Offenders
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the Government's policy is on the eligibility of ex-prisoners who have been released on licence at the end of their term in custody for adult learning grant; and if he will make a statement. [198561]
Mr. Lammy: Ex-prisoners, who have been released on licence at the end of their term in custody, are able to apply for the adult learning grant (ALG) subject to meeting the full eligibility criteria. The grant is primarily intended to help individuals in work with low skills and on low incomes; individuals receiving out of work benefits are not eligible for ALG. Participants must be undertaking full time learning for their first full Level 2 or first full Level 3 qualification. Serving prisoners who are released on temporary licence to attend college are not eligible for ALG.
The ‘on licence’ process helps offenders re-build their lives, return to their families and gain work. For those offenders wishing to gain qualifications, ALG can help support them in that learning. ALG has been available throughout England since September 2007 and during its pilot phase showed that it was successful at helping more individuals complete their training and gain a qualification.
Adult Education: Standards
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what performance indicators have been set to assess the (a) quality of
customer service provided by the adult learning grant helpline and (b) efficiency of the processing of applications for adult learning grant; and if he will make a statement. [198563]
Mr. Lammy: Adult learning grant has been available throughout England since September 2007 and during its pilot phase showed that it was successful at helping more individuals raise their skill levels through completing their training and gaining a qualification, It is intended to help low skilled individuals in work on low incomes achieve their first full level 2 or first full level 3 qualification. The grant offers up to £30 per week.
The issues raised are matters for the Learning and Skills Council for England who administer the adult learning grant for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and have responsibility for the contract with the helpline, assessment and payment body, Mark Haysom, the Council's chief executive; will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Letter from Verity Bullough, dated 10 April 2008:
In the absence of Mark Haysom I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Questions that asked:
1. What performance indicators have been set to assess the (a) quality of customer service provided by the adult learning grant helpline and (b) efficiency of the processing of applications for adult learning grant; and if he will make a statement.
The administration of Adult Learning Grant moves to a new system from September 2008. This is part of wider changes to bring together the delivery of a number of strands of the LSC Learner Support, Programme, in order to give improved service to prospective learners.
Delivery of the Adult Learning Grant on the old system in the first term of this academic year was not always satisfactory. Service performance indicators have been set for the new system and these have been met since early January. A baseline survey of the helpline was carried out last year and will be repeated when the new service is in operation, to assess improvement and customer satisfaction.
2. How many applications for adult learning grant have been (a) made, (b) accepted and (c) refused in (i) England, (ii) the area of the Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Learning and Skills Council, (iii) Buckinghamshire and (iv) Aylesbury parliamentary constituency in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.
Application information is available at LSC area level but not at Local Authority or constituency level.
The table below shows application data for the Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes LSC area.
| Area | Applications received | Applications accepted (awards) | Applications refused | Applications in progress |
3. Where the call centre handling calls to the Adult Learning Grant helpline is located.
The Call Centre dedicated to handling Adult Learning Grant calls is in Manchester, with a back-up site in Barrow and imminent further back-up sites in Coventry and Darlington,
4. What training is given to staff responsible for responding to calls by members of the public to the Adult Learning Grant helpline; and if he will make a statement.
Advisors undertake an initial two week training course incorporating mentoring with an experienced advisor and ongoing support and guidance from team leaders. Training continues throughout the Advisors' employment
5. What is the average length of time for an application for Adult Learning Grant to be processed following receipt of a completed application form.
Applications are processed and a communication to the applicant is sent within 10 days of receipt.
6. How many (a) staff and (b) full-time equivalent staff are employed to manage and operate the Adult Learning Grant helpline.
Staff levels dedicated to ALG calls vary in accordance with volumes of calls. There is a core of 7 full time staff increasing to 27 full time staff as required.
7. What is the average length for dispatch of an Adult Learning Grant pack following receipt of a request from a member of the public.
ALG application forms are available from learning providers, Nextstep, Connexions and Learndirect. Learndirect despatch application packs direct to applicants within two working days of the request being made, by 2nd class post. Learndirect advise callers that the application form should be with them within 7 days.
Agriculture: Qualifications
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps are being taken to promote agriculture-related degrees and further education qualifications. [195216]
Bill Rammell: Careers advice in schools and colleges provides information on the variety of routes into agriculture including apprenticeships, the Diploma in Land-based industries and Foundation Degrees, Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for the environmental and land-based sector, has a key role in supporting the development and promotion of education and training provision which meets the sector’s requirements. It is currently promoting the Year of Food and Farming, which offers children opportunities to experience farm activities and learn more about environmental issues related to food and the countryside.
Aimhigher Initiative
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2008, Official Report, column 1291W, on Aimhigher Initiative, what the reasons are for the change in expenditure levels on the aim higher programme. [195160]
Bill Rammell: In 2004-05, both the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the then Department for Education and Skills made additional, one-off, contributions to the Aimhigher budget. The funds were from underspends elsewhere, and amounted to over £25 million in total. In 2004, Ministers reviewed the programme and, in the light of the decision to introduce the Higher Education Grant, decided to reduce expenditure on Aimhigher to help fund the increases in student support, thereby providing more money directly to students from less well-off backgrounds. The growth in expenditure on student support was shown in the answer to Question 172276.
The Government remain committed to Aimhigher and recently announced its extension to 2011. The Government and HEFCE have together allocated £239.5 million for the three years. This represents a
substantial investment and is an indication of our continuing commitment to widen participation in higher education in line with the country’s social and economic needs. More young people than ever before are applying to go to university. As of 15 January 2008, 311,741 people from England applied through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) for 2008 HE entry, an increase of 7.1 per cent. on the same point of the previous year. Of the 18-year-olds and under applying for whom social class background is known, 28.9 per cent. are from lower socio-economic groups, up from 28.2 per cent. in 2007.
Apprentices
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of recent trends in the take-up of apprenticeships. [197971]
Mr. Lammy: The latest figures available for take-up of apprenticeships are for 2006/07 and show 180,000 starts compared to 2005/06 figures of 175,000.
This is a marked increase in apprenticeship starts and this improvement is also reflected in the improving completion rate which is currently 63 per cent.
World-class Apprenticeships looked at current trends in the context of expanding provision and we aim to build on the outcomes and improve the quality of apprenticeship provision and the apprenticeship experience for young people and adults.
Apprentices: Death
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many fatalities occurred during training for apprenticeships in 2006-07. [199922]
Mr. Lammy: There was one fatality on apprenticeships in 2006/07.
Apprentices: Employment
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills in which 10 professions where an apprenticeship scheme is in operation employment shortages were highest in the last period for which figures are available. [200064]
Mr. Lammy: Information about employment shortages by apprenticeship framework is not available.
Apprentices: Foreigners
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people in apprenticeships who are not UK nationals; and if he will make a statement. [199921]
Mr. Lammy: Information about the nationality of people on apprenticeships is not collected centrally by the Learning and Skills Council or the Department. Individual employers and training providers may hold nationality and other information to ensure people have the right to work in this country.
Apprentices: Unemployment
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills in which 10 professions rates of unemployment of those completing an apprenticeship were highest in the last period for which figures are available. [200040]
Mr. Lammy:
There are no reliable estimates available. However, using the Annual Population Survey it is possible to calculate approximate estimates of the unemployment rates for those who hold an apprenticeship for various occupational groups. The following table shows for those holding an apprenticeship estimates for 2006 for the 10 minor occupational groupings with the highest unemployment rates. It should be noted that the
apprenticeship may have been gained at any point in the respondents’ working life and therefore will include many old trade apprenticeships. The occupation groupings are based on current job (if employed) and last job (if unemployed) and these may not be the same as the occupation grouping of the apprenticeship held. The analysis is for England and covers females aged 19-59 and males aged 19-64. These estimates are based on small samples and are not robust as the confidence intervals shown in the table make clear.
Taking all those holding an apprenticeship does provide robust estimates and for 2006 the ILO unemployment rate for those holding an apprenticeship was 2.8 per cent. compared with 4.8 per cent. for all adults aged 19-59/64.
| 10 minor occupational groupings( 1) with highest ILO unemployment rates( 2) for people( 3) holding an apprenticeship (Annual Population Survey, England, 2008) | |||
| 95 per cent. confidence interval for unemployment rate | |||
| Occupation group | Unemployment rate | Lower bound | Upper bound |
| (1) Based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000. (2) Defined as the unemployed as a percentage of the economically active (employed plus unemployed). (3) Females aged 19-59 and males aged 19-64. | |||
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