My main worry about the Learning and Skills Councils is how they’re going to influence the provision of funding and whether or not they’re going to try and interfere the way the local education authority used to.
Our main concern is how we’re going to relate to the local LSC, what we’re going to need to provide in, say, data and information, and whether or not their local needs will override what we provide - which is really a national labour force. Our students aren’t on the whole linked to local employment opportunities because they go off to university.
I think we’re adopting a wait and see policy. We’re not sure how we’ll fit in. W’ve been told that our funding will come based on national criteria, and then we’ve been told that the local learning and skills council will deliver our funding.
So if one was being cynical, one could see a national tariff which was then fed through a local learning and skills council which could, unless it was given very clear parameters, change the way that money was being delivered.
It could set up sixth forms in its schools if it wanted to. I’m sure it won’t because sixth form colleges are so successful. We are looking forward optimistically, hoping that things will be as we’d like. But I think we are suspicious really.
