The FE Whitepaper: Why subcontracting doesn’t have to be high risk

In January, the Department for Education published a whitepaper on reforms to post-16 technical education and training. The paper, Skills for jobs: lifelong learning for opportunity and growth, covered key areas that will enable adults across the UK to access the skills they need.?

The paper addressed some issues within the sector which are much needed, such as the introduction of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, which can only provide greater opportunity for people across the country who haven’t got any formal qualifications above Level 2. We’ve already seen huge demand for this provision since it was introduced in April, and it’s really positive to see steps being taken to support lifelong learning and adult upskilling.?

The paper also addressed the role of Independent Training Providers, and how standards need to be raised to ensure that young people and adults are receiving consistently high quality delivery, particularly when it comes to subcontracting.?

Whilst recognising that subcontracting can ‘plug gaps in niche or expert provision, provide access to better facilities, widen geographical access, and specifically benefit disadvantaged young people and adults’ the paper also presents subcontracting as a risk, due to ‘instances of poor practice and insufficient oversight which can lead to misuse of funding, subcontracting to generate income for the lead provider, and fraud.’?

As the CEO of one of the UK’s largest independent training providers, I stand by the need to ensure providers are delivering quality provision that meets the high standards that learners need and deserve. I can’t stress enough the importance of ensuring that subcontracting partnerships are developed with trusted and reliable providers.?

I’m sure other trusted organisations will stand by me in my thoughts that some providers think that subcontracting is a quick and easy money maker. In reality, successful subcontracting is years of hard work, relationship building, and the drive and passion to ensure that learners succeed.?

It saddens me to think that some organisations have tainted subcontracting for the DfE to brand it as ‘harmful’. Independent Training Providers play a key role in responding to skills gaps across the country.

We engage people into learning in some of the hardest to reach communities across the UK, we work with businesses to develop holistic approaches to staff training, we support people through pre-employment training. By subcontracting through our network of long standing partners, we are allowing more people across the UK to access high quality skills development, and that is where the focus should be, on the learners.?

It is the responsibility of all of us in the sector to ensure that both young people and adults can access education, regardless of their prior attainment, personal circumstances or even where they live - and successful subcontracting allows that to happen.?

It’s one of the reasons that our core value at Learning Curve Group is keeping ‘learners at the centre of everything we do.’ Throughout my time as CEO, I’ve always made it my mission to live our company ethos of transforming lives through learning, and subcontracting allows that to happen in many cases.

There is a clear and demonstrated need for subcontracting, and I hope the reforms as set out in the whitepaper mean that those who have consistently delivered successfully will be able to continue supporting learners.?

I welcome the bar being raised on quality when it comes to subcontracting, because we are already well above that bar.

#TalkToTom on [email protected]