* March: Further Higher Education Act 1992 (Training and Enterprise Councils and Further Education Funding Council set up, “Schedule 2” introduced), which limited state funding to “relevant” studies

* Department of Education and Science becomes Department of Education

1993 * National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets launched

* European Commission white paper Growth, Competitiveness Employment

* Campaign against VAT on adult education courses

1995 * Employment Department and Department for Education merged to form DfEE (Department for Education and Employment)

1996 * European Year of Lifelong Learning

* Learning : the treasure within - report to Unesco on Education for the 21st Century

1997 * May: Labour wins general election - Adult Learners’ Week one of David Blunkett’s first official engagements as Education Secretary

* September: Learning Direct national telephone helpline launched (now learndirect)

* National Advisory Committee for Adult Education and Lifelong Learning (the Fryer Committee) established

* Publication of the Kennedy report Learning Works

1998 * The Learning Age green paper published with its lyrical foreword

* Moser report on Basic Skills

* September: first Sign up Now campaign

* Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) piloted

1999 * January: first Sign up Again campaign

* International Year of Older People - Niace’s Older Bolder report

* Adult Community Learning Fund

2000 * University for Industry (UfI) launched

* ILAs rolled out nationally

2001 * April: Learning and Skills Council (LSC) established

* June: DfEE becomes Department for Education and Skills (DfES)

* June: Estelle Morris becomes Secretary of State for Education

* December: ILAs scheme closed down

2002 * Creation of the Sector Skills Council Network

* October: Charles Clarke becomes Secretary of State for Education following the resignation of Estelle Morris

2003 * July: publication of the Skills strategy 21st century skills: realising our potential

2004 * July: Higher Education Act

* December: Ruth Kelly appointed as Secretary of State for Education

2005 * March: publication of the second Skills Strategy document Skills: getting on in business, getting on at work

* November: Foster review of the future role of FE colleges

2006 * March: Further Education white paper Raising skills, improving life chances

* May: Alan Johnson appointed as Secretary of State for Education