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THE number of adults in further education and skills training has halved since the Tories took office, new research suggests.
The number of adult learners taking courses fell from 3.2 million in 2010 to 1.6m in 2021, according to a TUC study.
The number of men taking adult education and skills courses dropped by 52 per cent since 2010 and the number of women taking courses fell by 45 per cent.
Taking part in adult education and skills training has nose-dived in every age group since 2010, with learners from deprived areas seeing the biggest drop in participation over recent years, the analysis found.
The report said the fall in further education participation is mainly the result of cuts to adult learning budgets, as well as the scrapping of funding for UnionLearn, which provided more than 200,000 workers a year with access to in-work training.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We must urgently improve access to skills and training. This is vital for jobs, productivity and economic growth and to help us meet the challenges posed by net zero and new tech.
“Over the last 12 years the Conservatives have levelled down adult education — slashing adult learning budgets and axing vital schemes like UnionLearn.
“This has hit poor and hard-to-reach learners the hardest, with courses closing across the country.
“The government must reverse its self-defeating cuts and work with unions and other providers to upskill the nation.
“Rishi Sunak must put his money where his mouth is and invest properly in training and skills.”
Ms O’Grady said that investing in better skills will “more than pay for itself.”
