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UCU calls for greater support in getting people qualified for work

18 June 2014

UCU has said that more needs to be done to ensure that everyone has the chance to gain qualifications in order to improve their employment prospects.

Responding to the latest figures on Qualifications and Labour Market Participation from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the union said that having at least one qualification is shown to almost double the chance of finding paid work.

However, cuts to the adult skills budget and funding for 18 year olds mean that colleges are having to make difficult decisions about what learning they can continue to offer.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'These latest findings show quite clearly that having at least one qualification almost doubles your chances of finding paid work. Not only that, but the better qualified you are, the more you're likely to earn.

'However, swingeing cuts to the adult skills budget, an increasingly prescriptive focus on apprenticeships and cuts to funding for 18 year olds have all put real pressure on colleges which are trying to offer a wide range of qualifications to meet different needs.

'If unemployment is to be reduced, the government must ensure that properly funded education is a priority for people of all ages, and that providers have the freedom to support people in whatever form of learning is right for them. College educators, with appropriate input from employers, are best placed to determine what this learning should look like at a local level.'

Last updated: 10 December 2015

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