The upcoming FE White Paper will look at simplifying funding schemes for adult education, skills and apprenticeships minister Gillian Keegan said today.

She was speaking as prime minister Boris Johnson announced significant reform to lifelong learning, including a Lifelong Skills Guarantee allowing adults without A-level qualifications to take free FE courses in key areas and a four-year flexible loans entitlement for adult learners.

Funding for adult education ‘complex’

Speaking in front of the Commons Education Select Committee, the minister said that the current funding system was “complex”. “It is something, through FE reform, that we are looking to simplify to make sure that it’s easier for people to understand and to target the funding,” she added.

News: Boris Johnson to announce ‘Lifetime Skills Guarantee’

More: Apprenticeships advice for adults not good enough, says Keegan

FE White Paper: What do sector leaders want it to say?

Committee chair Robert Halfon said that the different funding streams were “dizzying” and argued for them to be consolidated to “allow providers to focus more of their efforts on frontline delivery”.

Ms Keegan added that the schemes all “offered opportunity” to allow segments of society to access education.

The Department for Education is expected to publish an FE White Paper on reform of the system later this year.