In 2010/11 the British government spent £8.2 billion on education and skills for 16–18 year-olds, and £2.9 billion on classroom-based adult education. By 2020, the amount spent had fallen to £5.9 billion (a reduction of 28%) and £1.7 billion (a reduction of 41%) respectively. Never before had there been such a sustained attack on 16-plus education in this countr y. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has recently shown that annual UK productivity growth fell from 2.1% a year before the financial crisis (2009) to 0.2% between 2010 and 2020. These figures may not be linked, but they need some serious thought.
Government spending in this area would matter little if firms took up the slack. Unfortunately, in May 2022 the Financial Times reported that UK employer spending on training had fallen from £2,139 per worker in 2005 to £1,530 in 2020. After allowing for inf lation, the 28.5% fall in spending would be closer to 40%. Every economist and business leader agrees that boosting productivity is vital to our economy. Politicians would add that it’s also vital for ‘levelling up’. It is time for some new thinking on this issue.
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