Suffolk County Council leaders ‘keen’ on taking over £9.4m Government funding pot for adult learning

Leaders have said they would be ‘keen’ to take over a £9.4 million Government funding pot for adult learning.

On Tuesday, members of the county council’s cabinet met to approve documents showcasing the authority’s willingness to take over the Government’s Adult Skills Fund (ASF), worth £9.4 million.

The potential devolution of the fund down to the council’s hands follows the breakdown of Suffolk’s devolution deal in September.

The money is meant to provide training and learning opportunities for adults aged 19 or over without an education, health and care plan.

Cllr Richard Smith MVO, the council’s lead for finance and skills, said the council was ‘quite keen’ on taking over control of the money, which would allow the council to prioritise certain schemes depending on residents’ needs.

He added: “Adult learning has the power to change lives and make a real difference to individuals’ families and communities — it can stimulate ambition and give people the confidence, skills and knowledge they need to secure jobs, advance in their careers and lead fulfilling lives.

“It plays a key role in addressing some of Suffolk’s biggest challenges and barriers to growth, such as increasing the skills level of our ageing workforce, raising qualification and productivity levels and helping areas of low social mobility.”

Prompted by a question from the opposition group leader, Cllr Andrew Stringer, he also said access to education would be something to look at.

He added: “We know Suffolk is a rural county and bus services, because of financial constraints, are not all they could be.

“It is a problem, I’m not sure there is an easy option to it but there is always the taxi of mum and dad to help and they do help in so many ways.”

Senior officer Michael Gray also said a lot of the schemes supported by the fund already provided remote education to help with accessibility problems.

Overall the money is expected to decrease the number of adults not in employment, education, or training (NEET) and potentially address shortages in certain areas, like bus drivers.

Cllr Stringer asked whether bus driver roles could be offered as a net-zero job but this was not addressed.

With the intent of the council to take charge of the money approved unanimously, the Government is now expected to pass on the duties from the 2025/26 academic year.

If approved by Government, the council would need to use £230,000 from the fund to manage the overall programme.

Some of the initiatives supported by the fund include grant allocation for adult learning in further education colleges and £660,000 to target the participation of adults aged 24 or over in level three qualifications.

Although more changes to how the money is used are expected in the coming years, Mr Gray said the council would not be making any ‘quick rash decisions’ and would handle the fund responsibly.