Is the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) proving its worth?
The Learning and Skills Council is unaccountable and remote, and there is a danger that the government can hide behind the body when they want to make unpopular funding decisions, such as cuts to adult courses, for example. It is for this reason that the Liberal Democrats have opposed moves to transfer more powers from the secretary of state to the LSC. If powers are to be devolved, the correct direction would be towards elected, democratically accountable local councils. How would the Lib Dems attempt to tackle the skills shortage in the UK? Re-engaging those who have missed out at school is vital if we are to release the personal and economic potential of all our citizens. Raising the learning leaving age to 18 may help, but there is no point in making young people stay on at school if what they are learning is completely irrelevant and they are already disillusioned. We need to reform the curriculum so that vocational skills are no longer the poor relative of academic qualifications
