The Taylor Report on modern working practices has been published today. Author Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, was asked by the prime minister to “develop proposals to improve the lives of this country’s citizens” through employment. Here are the main recommendations affecting the FE sector.

Make levy funding available for non-apprenticeship training

“As the new apprenticeship system beds in, government should examine how it could be made to work better for those working atypically, including through agencies. The government should ask the Institute for Apprenticeships to work with sectors using high levels of lower-paying and atypical work to ensure that they are making best use of the current apprenticeship framework. Following the delivery of the 3 million apprenticeships that it is committed to, government should consider making the funding generated by the levy available for high-quality, off-the-job training other than apprenticeships. The Institute for Apprenticeships should also be tasked with reporting on and addressing disparities in the take-up of apprenticeships for different groups.”

Explore learning accounts

“Learning from the failings of Individual Learning Accounts the government should explore a new approach to learning accounts, perhaps with an initial focus on those with a long working record, but who need to retrain and those in receipt of Universal Credit. The new £40 million lifelong learning fund is a starting point for this and should be developed by bringing together employers, civic society and the education sector.”

Time for a consistent strategic approach

“Government should use its convening power to bring together employers and the education sector to develop a consistent strategic approach to employability and lifelong learning. This should cover formal vocational training, ‘on the job’ learning and development, lifelong learning and informal learning outside work. It could be linked to the longer-term development of life-time digital individual learning records. As part of this, the Government should seek to develop a unified framework of employability skills and encourage stakeholders to use this framework.”

High quality work experience

“In developing a national careers strategy, the Government should pay particular attention to how those in low paid and atypical work are supported to progress. It should take a well-rounded approach, promoting the role of high-quality work experience and encounters at different education stages.”

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