education

How can adults without A-levels enrol in free college courses to help their employability?

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Adults without A-levels will be eligible for free courses from April (Picture: Lev Vlasov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a lifetime skills guarantee that will allow adults without an A-level or equivalent qualification to enrol on a free college course, with the aim of helping improve their employability.

The PM’s announcement comes after Rishi Sunak’s appearance in the House of Commons last week where he discussed the new Job Support scheme, admitting he ‘cannot save every job’ as Covid-19 continues to batter the economy.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the UK currently has an unemployment rate of 4.1%, and this number is only expected to rise when the current furlough scheme ends next month.

Here’s all you need to know about the ‘lifetime skills guarantee.

What is the lifetime skills guarantee?

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In a speech at Exeter College Construction Centre, Boris Johnson said the coronavirus crisis had exposed the ‘shortcomings’ of the UK’s educational system.

He said: ‘We’re transforming the foundations of the skills system so that everyone has the chance to train and retrain.’

The lifetime skills guarantee will be available from April for people in England and will be paid for via the National Skills Fund with an extra top-up of £2.5 billion.

The new scheme comes as Rishi Sunak states that the Government ‘cannot save every job’ (Picture: PA)

Higher education loans will also be made more ‘flexible’.

The flexibility will allow people to tailor study by splitting it into segments, transfer credits between colleges and universities, and enable more part-time learning.

Apprenticeship opportunities will also be increased as part of the plan, with more funding for small and medium-sized enterprises taking on apprentices, and greater flexibility in how their training is structured.

Further details of the lifetime skills guarantee, such as whether you will be able to work as you study, are set to come out next month.

The Government has previously admitted that they cannot save every job, but this scheme will hopefully allow those whose careers have been affected by the pandemic to find new and better jobs for themselves.

Mr Johnson said: ‘As the Chancellor has said, we cannot, alas, save every job.

‘What we can do is give people the skills to find and create new and better jobs.

‘So my message today is that at every stage of your life, this Government will help you get the skills you need.’

Which courses will be available for free?

The lifetime skills guarantee applies to courses offering ‘skills valued by employers’. The full list of courses that fall under this criteria will be announced next month, Number 10 confirmed.

Currently, the government pays for a first A-level equivalent qualification up to the age of 23, but this is being extended to all ages.

MORE: Which industries could miss out on Rishi Sunak’s plan to support ‘viable jobs’?

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