AoC are pleased to see the proposals that the Department for Work and Pensions has set out

David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges, said: ‘The proposals that the Department for Work and Pensions has set out today rightly aim to open up economic opportunity and join up skills, employment and health at a local level. As anchor institutions in their local communities, working closely with hundreds of local employers, colleges can play a central role in delivering on these ambitions by providing high-quality, flexible programmes for young people and adults that lead to good jobs. Colleges are keen to partner with employment and health organisations to make this work.

We have long called for conditionality around Universal Credit to be reviewed, so are pleased to see DWP focus on the systemic barriers that exacerbate regional inequity by preventing those on sickness benefits or in low-paid jobs from upskilling or retraining to secure better work. This sits well with the approach needed to make the Youth Guarantee a reality for the one in eight young people not in education, employment or training.'