The Labour Party will pump £1 billion into further education to make a “success” of delivering the government’s T levels if it comes to power, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has announced.

Ms Rayner (pictured), addressing delegates at the Labour Party conference in Brighton today, said that a Labour government would aim to “manage success” in the sector by investing £1 billion, and would commit to delivering the T-level technical qualifications outlined by chancellor Philip Hammond in his spring budget in March.

“Further education isn’t just for those who didn’t get the chance to go to university, it serves the majority of young people,” Ms Rayner said. “They too deserve a world-class education. Instead, conference, the Conservatives are happy to manage decline. Well, I will only be happy when we manage success.

“So...we promise in our manifesto that we will invest a billion pounds into further education and to service and to deliver T levels that are a true gold standard. The Conservatives, they keep talking about how they want to help young people. Reducing [university tuition] fees, maybe capping interest rates, raising the repayment thresholds - I’ve got a suggestion for them, conference: stop talking about it, and get on with it.”

Labour ‘providing for everybody’

Ms Rayner outined a 10-point charter for its “cradle-to-grave” National Education Service, which pledges that all education will be free at the point of use, “available universally and throughout life”.   

She added: “Our national education service will be lifelong, providing for people at every stage of their life. That is our national education service. Not just another structure. Not another new sign on the gate.”

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