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Machinery of Government

The Machinery of Government changes were announced by the government on 14 June 2007.

The first stage of these changes was the disbanding of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the formation of two new departments; the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

White paper

The two new departments published the white paper 'Raising Expectations, enabling the system to deliver' on 17 March 2008.

The white paper set out plans for the dissolution of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) by 2010 and the transfer of its functions to local authorities and two new agencies; the Young People's Learning Agency and the Skills Funding Agency.

The Skills Funding Agency will house the new National Apprenticeship Service , the Adult Careers and Advancement Service (ACS) and the National Employer Service.

The changes will mean that £7 billion of government funding will be transferred to local authorities and the Young People's Learning Agency  and they will be given the responsibility for the strategic commissioning of education and training for 14-18 year olds.

There will also be £4 billion of government funding fed through the Skills Funding Agency  to support the skills needs of adults and employers.

The National Apprenticeship Service will take an end-to-end responsibility for the apprenticeship programme, with direct accountability for the delivery of targets.

The Adult Careers and Advancement Service will be an England-wide service, working with Job Centre Plus, in creating demand for skills and guiding individuals to the right training to meet their needs.

The Skills Funding Agency  will take over the management of the National Employer Service from the LSC. The National Employer Service is a service for those employers with over 5,000 employees and will work closely with the National Apprenticeship Service.

Impact on PCS members

These changes mean that there will have a significant impact on staff and PCS members working for the LSC.

By the beginning of 2009, eighteen months on from the announcement of the changes, there has been very little information for members in what it actually means for them.

Campaigning

PCS are working very hard to get assurances for members and the information required to help to inform their choices in future.

PCS is campaigning for the following assurances for members in the LSC:

  • No compulsory redundancies
  • No compulsory transfers
  • No compulsory relocations.