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Spending cuts 'to impact on adult education'

Proposed plans to cut £200 million from funding for adult courses in the UK could have a dramatic impact on the amount of courses being offered, it has been claimed.

Alastair Thomson, principal policy officer at the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, said there will be fewer opportunities for training and higher fees for adults who look to get ahead in their careers by training on their own time and therefore the seriousness of these cuts should not be underestimated.

He commented: "In a fast-moving, globalised economy we can't afford to forget re-skilling as more and more adults need to keep their skills up to date or even change occupational areas."

According to the Association of Colleges, courses affected by the proposed budget cut will include bricklaying, joinery, plastering, plumbing, painting and tiling, electrical installation, catering and care, GCSE and A-level courses for adults, qualifications for youth workers, paralegal administration courses, IT and aeronautical engineering.