Mapping the Terrain: 16-19 Transfer Funding

Key Findings

Progress:

• The pace of building and progressing collaborative relationships, in order to coordinate the journey towards the transfer of funding from the LSC to LAs in 2010, was noticeably reliant on pre-existing relationships.
• Most LAs felt they had access to information on learner needs but the majority of LAs were relying on the LSC’s historical analysis for the time being. Overall some useful lessons from the shadowing process were reported to have been learnt.

Challenges:

• Many LAs reported not having enough time and staff capacity to further build collaborative relationships or reach consensus (at sub-regional level) over ways forward.
• Providers perceived the challenges to be LAs’ apparent lack of knowledge of the complex and diverse provider and FE system and the current funding system.
• The majority of FE and LSC interviewees reported considerable concern with regard to strategic links between LAs and employers.

The future:

• It was believed that bringing together responsibility for the whole 14-19 funding phase should mean more effective planning and the ability to respond better and more flexibly to the individual needs of young people.
• Overall, one of the main messages that emerged was the need for effective communication between all parties, allied with trust and transparency.

Sponsor Details

LGA