The Government have announced that courses in subjects such as self-tanning, balloon artistry and instructing pole fitness will fail to attract taxpayer funding under a shake-up of adult education. More than 5,000 qualifications will be stripped from a list of funded courses as part of a drive to boost investment in more rigorous disciplines that lead directly to a job.
Matthew Hancock, the Skills Minister, said the changes would result in some £200 million being redirected towards work-based qualifications and apprenticeships. However, Labour’s Shadow Universities, Science and Skills Minister Liam Byrne MP has argued that the Government had failed to go far enough, and called for further action to increase the number of apprenticeships offered by employers.
