Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the National Farmers' Union (SFS 14a)
FUNDING FOR
AGRICULTURAL COURSES
When looking at the provision of training and
skills development it is important to differentiate between short
duration, providing the skills and training to meet industry's
day-today needs, and that which is long term to provide industry
with the skilled people needed for the future.
It is important that employers see a business benefit
in the training and this will be provided by ensuring that funding
follows the training and is not concentrated around the delivery
of a qualification, "making people more employable",
which has been the focus of Train to Gain (T2G). There is now
some flexibility in this but the nature of the land-based sector,
small and micro-businesses, means that providing training for
small numbers of attendees has not proved financially viable.
Larger employers have been able to avail themselves of funding
because they have been able to provide the time to discuss their
needs with a T2G adviser and can provide the numbers of trainees.
Generally there is doubt about the engagement by
Defra with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)
and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)
as regards representation of the concerns and unique situation
within the land-based sector. It is open to question as to whether
the DCSF and DUIS look to Defra as being the representative body
on behalf of the land-based industries.
APPRENTICESHIPS
Apprenticeships can be seen as fitting into
both categories in that they provide the learners with the skills
needed to do the job and secure the future of the business. Unfortunately
the uptake within the land-based sector is likely to be low because
employers will not be able to fund the wages required. Under the
Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) an employer will be required to
pay an apprentice aged 16 to 18 the sum of £137.67 per
week rising to £223.47 per week for those aged 22 and
over. This does not include any other expenses, for example travel
costs.
This is not just a problem for the land-based sector
because it affects all sectors where there are small businesses.
The argument is that the employer will be paying twice for the
job, once for the "proper worker" and again for the
apprentice who will need to be trained/supervised by the "proper
worker", not to mention that the apprentice is likely to
be away from the workplace for part of the time on training etc.
The Government say that there may be funding
for the training but not for training that is required by statutory
legislation. They further say that because the employer will benefit
from the apprentice they should pay the wages.
PROVISION OF
PLACES
Landex, the representative body for the land-based
colleges, say that they teach more than 65,000 learners on
further education and skills training courses and over 8,000 at
higher education levels each year. They comment that there is
an urgent need for Defra, through its links with DIUS and DCSF,
to ensure that the transition of revenue funding arrangements
under the Machinery of Government reforms from the LSC to funding
trough local authorities does not put at risk the funding of land-based
provision. It is difficult to understand how a national policy
of up-skilling the sector can be brought about as a result of
regional and local as opposed to national commissioning.
Landex are also concerned that colleges are now facing
the potentially disastrous consequences of the difficulties associated
with funding the Buildings for Colleges programme. Action should
be taken urgently to find ways of limiting the effects on the
levels of land-based education and training provision. In the
longer term, the criteria for determining the priorities for capital
funding allocations must include appropriate recognition of the
need to ensure adequate resources for the specialist provision
required in the land-based sector. Difficulties with the capital
funding could result in development programmes being put on hold
or abandoned.
It is often necessary for residential accommodation
to be provided for students and this places extra burdens on both
the college and the student which could present a barrier to attendance.
March 2009
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