The good news from the Chancellor's first round of cuts is the protection of Sure Start and 16-19 education, and the creation of 50,000 adult apprenticeship places targeted at smalland medium-sized enterprises.
The bad news is that the latter is to be paid for by diverting £150m from Train to Gain, a scheme which has long been in the Conservatives' sights.
Good-quality training providers will still be funded to deliver apprenticeships, which, under the Qualifications and Credit Framework, will mean a Level 3 Diploma, together with functional skills and first aid. Functional skills, which embed literacy and numeracy in a work context, are more challenging than key skills, and employers will need to consider carefully whether those they wish to train to Level 3 are capable of achieving these awards and what support they will need.
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