On 28 September 2020, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson MP, announced a new Lifetime Skills Guarantee designed to transform the training and skills system.
- The Lifetime Skills Guarantee will give adults the chance to take free college courses. Adults without an A-Level or equivalent will be offered a free, fully funded college course, providing them with valuable skills and the opportunity to study at a time and location that suits them.
- This offer will be available from April 2021 in England and will be paid for through the National Skills Fund. A full list of available courses will be set out shortly.
- Higher education loans will be also be made more flexible. Adults and young people will be able to space out their study across their lifetimes, and take more high-quality vocational courses in further education colleges and universities. The changes will also make it easier for people to break up their study into segments, transfer credits between colleges & universities, & enable more part-time study.
- Reforms will be backed by continued investment, including over £1.5 billion in capital funding. More information on this will be set out in a further education white paper later this paper.
- The Government is also committing £8 million for digital skills boot camps, and are planning to expand successful pilots in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands and introduce programmes in four new locations.