Funding

The UK VQ reforms are intended to increase the number of learners completing vocational qualifications, so that employers benefit from increased skills through greater productivity and competitiveness. Public funding must, therefore, be progressively aligned to those VQs which do most to raise demand from individuals and employers.

Funding decisions are made by the government and the Learning & Skills Council (LSC). The LSC has committed to ensuring that funding can support and drive forward qualification reform, including by increasingly focusing public funding on reformed VQs as they become available.

The LSC is examining how the new funding system, success rates and performance measures can be aligned to the QCF. Testing of the process has begun where SSCs advise the LSC on which VQs should be a priority for public funding.

In November 2007 the LSC published its annual Statement of Priorities which contains a clear commitment to VQ reform. In December the LSC produced an Addendum that contains information on the modelling of the process to align public funding with those VQs which SSCs identify as priorities for public funding. The Addendum provides an early indication of the VQs that will be considered for public funding for 2008/9. In February 2008 the LSC published an Update to this Addendum. All three documents can be found on the Business Cycle page on the LSC website

For more information about funding UK VQRP in England, see http://qfr.lsc.gov.uk/ukvqrp/.