Adult learning accountability agreement
Contents
- Purpose, mission and vision
- Adult learning service - Strategic priorities
- Local context – North and West Northamptonshire
- Adult learning commitments and priorities
- Approach to the development of the funding and accountability statement
- Contribution to national, regional and local priorities
- Corporation statement
- Appendix 1 – LSIP identified employability skills
Contribution to national, regional and local priorities
| 2025/26 aim | How this aim contributes to national, regional and local priorities |
|---|---|
| During the 25/26 academic year, we will offer a suite of short courses that offer agile and flexible upskilling for employment in a range of topic areas relevant to Childcare, Education, Business Administration and Leadership, with a targeted recruitment of 100 enrolments for the academic year 25/26. We will continue our development of programmes in Childcare and Education to adults seeking employment or to enhance current employment, trialling differing approaches to identify employer, sector and learner need. A request for access to Free Courses for Jobs Funding will support the development of a targeted, and trailed offer. If the funding and viability is secured, a target recruitment of 20 enrolments with a target achievement of 90% for the academic year 25/26 will | Business Operations and Administration are among the occupational groups with the highest job posting demand in the South East Midlands (SEM). SEM labour market mapping indicates a high level of growth for Business, Media and Public Service Professionals, leading to a recruitment need. The LSIP established that local employers want skills delivery that is flexible and agile. Short non-accredited qualifications were highlighted as the second most popular response from employers for preferred training provision in the LSIP. Jobs in Childcare and Education are identified as roles most in need within the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP). The South East Midlands (SEM) Employment and Skills Briefing 2024 details that the occupational groups with highest job posting demand include Education - Teaching Assistant and Childcare. SEM labour market mapping demonstrates a high level of growth for Business, Media and Public Service Professionals. The March 2023 budget announced a £4bn expansion of funded childcare, and major political parties show similar commitment to increasing access to childcare and Early Years Education, leading to clear demand for increased skills development in this area. Childcare has seen a circa 20% increase in job postings over the last 12 months. SEM details Education and Care as ‘increasing’ for job vacancy trends, featuring in the top 50 highest demand job postings for the local area. |
| We're boosting employment access and tackling digital inequality by increasing enrolment (+5%) and achievement (+3% from 24/25) in English, maths, and digital skills. We'll introduce new courses for those furthest from employment and collaborate with local colleges, ITPs, and the VCSE sector to identify clear progression routes. We'll also open at least two new learning centres for consistent delivery of essential skills, especially digital. | English and maths provision underpins all current local and national priorities. The Funding and Accountability Agreement guidance 25/26 states a desire for providers to offer more essential skills up to Level 2 in English, mathematics, and Level 1 for digital. Skilled use of basic digital platforms appears highly in job postings within the local area, with 93% listing Microsoft Excel and 90% listing MS Office as skills needed, as evidenced in the LSIP. The LSIP sets a priority for providers to work with employers to effectively develop ‘readiness for work’ and identify why ‘soft skills’ and ‘core skills’ may be required in different formats to deal with the changing workplace landscape post-Covid. The LSIP, supported by SEMLEP, has developed a framework definition for ‘skills for the future’ which includes IT/digital within the definition of core transferable skills alongside sufficient skill level in English and maths which can be seen in appendix 1. |
| We will support improved integration and maximise economic potential for those with English as a second language by delivering a 5% increase in ESOL qualifications with a wider offer to targeted communities. | The LSIP directly recognises the need to improve ESOL provision to support local business in addressing the current skills gap. Increased ESOL delivery aims to move those recognised as economically inactive into further training or employment, bringing both economic and wellbeing benefits. A 2022 report by the Lifelong Education Commission argues that enhancing ESOL provision in the UK could be key to tackling national skills gaps and shortages. 2021 census data shows that 1.8% of residents in North Northamptonshire and 2.2% in West Northamptonshire cannot speak English well or at all, both significantly above the national average of 1.5%, equating to approximately 16,000 residents with limited or no ability to speak English. |
| In partnership with our schools and childcare settings we will provide Family Learning to at least 400 parents across the county. | Wide access to high quality Family Learning provision helps to meet the North Northamptonshire corporate planned commitment to ‘ensure every child has access to a high standard of education’ as well as West Northamptonshire commitment to have ‘Healthy, Safe and Protected Children’. The Local Area Partnerships for both North and West Northamptonshire evidence the need for localised focus in key areas relating to Children and Families. In West Northamptonshire 8 of the 9 LAPs detail priority areas related to this area. It is a similar picture across North Northamptonshire such as a localised focused on Education and Skills within the Corby area. |
| We will implement an improved place-based approach to the delivery of non-accredited learning within the community, using the framework of Tailored Learning to target those communities most in need of our support and furthest from the workplace or economic activity. We will continue to work with voluntary sector organisations, schools and other Community partners as part of our commitment to build capacity of our learning opportunities and to engage those with barriers to learning. We will review our curriculum offer for Tailored Learning to ensure we are adapting our offer to the needs identified by local communities. We will widen participation by prioritising learners experiencing the highest levels of deprivation and disadvantage, tailoring our offerings to meet their specific needs within the priority sector. This may result in an expected decline in enrolment for Tailored Learning Provision of circa 20% but with an increased proportion of learners enrolled from within the targeted key groups. | There are approximately 30,000 economically inactive 16-64 year olds across Northamptonshire. To actively engage learners furthest from the job market, it is important to offer access to courses that develop health and wellbeing, improve confidence, address social isolation and offer access to further provision. This approach supports the North Northamptonshire corporate plan commitments to ‘Empower a thriving voluntary and community sector’ and ‘Promote better training, further education and employment opportunities.’ It also supports the West Northamptonshire corporate plan of being a place ‘where people are proud to live, with strong sustainable communities, decent homes, a fulfilling job, and stress-free travel through well connected places.’ This meets the Adult Learning Service strategic priority of “Equality and Inclusion: Accessible learning for all, with provision targeted to those most in need, to help people live healthier, independent and fulfilled lives”. The SEMLEP Local Skills Report recognises those within areas of high social deprivation (including Wellingborough, Corby, Kettering and Northampton) as one of the most significant barriers for access to work. Offering engagement activity within these communities provides the best chance to engage residents in further education as a route to the workplace or community activity. Both North and West Northamptonshire have an above average number of residents unable to work because of long-term ill health, and courses are prioritised to support health and wellbeing measures with a view to supporting economic activity for those with ill health barriers. We actively align this provision to local need supporting with the priorities identified withing the LAPs and the Place Based Partnership boards (PBPs). As an example, the need to address social isolation is a key priority of several LAPs including Northampton North, Rural West and Rural East. Development of financial resilience as well as Health and Wellbeing matters feature within the PBPs for both Kettering/Corby and Wellingborough. |
| We will review the curriculum offer to support those who have a background of Care Experience. We will develop and implement several additional support services such as mentoring programs and careers support specifically tailored to the needs of learners with care experience. We will establish partnerships with a network of professionals, including the Children’s Trust and the Virtual Schools Team, to develop referral pathways and outreach programs to promote the ALS among care leavers targeting an increase of circa 5% in the number of enrolments for learners with care experience. | Both North and West Northamptonshire have a corporate parenting commitment to support those with care experience with future progression. The number of learners not in education, employment or training (NEET) within Northamptonshire is a concern, with 5.2% of learners aged 16-17 recorded as NEET (based on 2021 data). Care leavers make up a disproportionate number of these learners, being almost three times more likely to become NEET. According to the Learning for Work Institute, young people who have been in care are significantly more likely to live in poverty and 84% leave school without five GCSEs graded 4-9. The Learning and Work Institute recommends that learning providers offer consistent and high-quality pathway planning, focused on the individual needs, aspirations, and circumstances of those with care experience. |
Last updated 14 October 2025