ESOL provision crucial for government’s growth plans, says report

A national vision for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision would boost growth and prosperity in local communities, according to a new report published by the Association of Colleges (AoC) and The Bell Foundation today.

With the government’s plans – including Skills England, the Get Britain Working White Paper, the English Devolution White Paper and its Plan for Change – coming thick and fast, Supporting ESOL in the devolved areas, highlights how devolved ESOL provision can help to close skills gaps and support the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth.

The report shows that adults who are speakers of English as a second or additional language are a great asset if their current English language skills can meet the language demands for the jobs on offer. According to the National Office for Statistics, around 48% of new arrivals are educated at tertiary level (compared to 39% of UK-born citizens), and in 2018, the OECD found that the proportion of well-qualified migrants and refugees with degrees increased by almost 20% between 2007 and 2017.

With the right language education offer, people with these skills and experience offer a huge demographic and economic dividend. And yet, the ESOL policy and funding environment has been devastated by funding cuts and frequent policy changes over the last fifteen years. The number of students starting funded ESOL courses fell by 36% between 2009/10 and 2016/17, for example, while funding from the adult education budget (now adults skills fund) declined by 56% in real terms during the same period.

Currently, 10 mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) have responsibility for the adult education budget and therefore control the majority of ESOL funding. As the government shifts towards a ‘devolution by default’ approach, this will become the norm across the country.

Today’s report urges policy makers to learn from devolved approaches and work with MCAs to test and learn from new approaches which could realise the potential of thousands of people who speak English as a second or additional language (EAL).

The report sets out a series of recommendations around a national framework, a role for employers and funding, including:

A national framework for ESOL

• A national framework, informed by data which sets out the demand for and impact of ESOL services, should be co-developed with MCAs.

• The framework should set out a vision, core principles and priorities for ESOL provision and articulate the essential role that ESOL plays in economic growth and community cohesion.

The role of employers

• Policy makers should establish or pilot an Erasmus-style scheme for work placements for ESOL students, enabling employers to access the skills they need, and encourage employers to engage with people whose first language is not English.

Funding

• MCAs should pilot schemes focused on investing well in ESOL, explore and share insights on what delivery, innovation and investment has meaningful impact.

• Income from the immigration skills charge on visa fees should be used to fund ESOL courses to support British citizens and people with settled status in the UK who are speakers of other languages.

David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges, said: “The education and training of ESOL learners must be seriously considered as part of the government’s five missions, Get Britain Working and devolution plans.

“People who do not speak English as a main language are more likely to be out of work, but they have good skills, experience and a high motivation to have successful careers. They want to work, and should be supported too, because they can help meet the local labour market needs for skilled people and support economic growth. With the right opportunities to learn better English they can utilise their skills, benefiting the community, their families and themselves.

“This report is full of brilliant examples of what mayoral authorities are doing with the adult skills fund they are given; as we move towards a devolution by default approach, it’s imperative that others learn from these initiatives and develop effective ESOL provision across the country.

“Without it, we risk excluding too many people from the labour market, missing out on the significant contribution they can make to filling our skills gaps, and the economic growth and productivity of the country.”

Diana Sutton, Director of The Bell Foundation, said: “Many second language English speakers already have work-related skills and experience necessary to contribute to the UK economy. Over one in every 50 people of working age in the UK could benefit from work and growth opportunities by developing their proficiency in English; this is equivalent to the number of adults ‘economically inactive’ following the Covid pandemic in the UK. Almost half of this group are British citizens or long-term residents. MCAs have a key role to play in unlocking opportunities by flexing funding towards provision of ESOL.

“The creation of Skills England also provides an opportunity to ensure that second language speakers are able to access ESOL and help fill the skills shortages and labour needs of the future. “

The report shares case studies of best practice from mayoral authorities across the country to demonstrate what is possible with sufficient funding, support and collaboration.

The Greater London Authority included a strategy for ESOL as part of the Skills Roadmap for London in 2022. It operates four sub-regional ‘No Wrong Door’ hubs supplying employment and skills support for ESOL leaners, offers grants to community organisations to deliver outreach activity, and funds ESOL Plus pilots to support learners in specific circumstances.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has focused on three themes: alleviating barriers to adult education, improving digital inclusion through skills, and supporting the GM ESOL Advice Service. The service sees local ESOL coordinators liaise with providers to determine available provision and engage with learners to ensure they can access assessment and suitable provision.

In 2019, the West Midlands Combined Authority worked with FE and adult education providers, voluntary organisations, the Department for Work and Pensions, and Job Centre Plus to develop a strategy for targeting ESOL funding. An ESOL hub has since been established in Birmingham, and vocational ESOL courses are offered throughout the region to offer learners pathways into the workplace.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority developed the Test and Learn pilot to identify barriers at grassroots level and enable providers to introduce approaches to course content, engagement and delivery. Southport College, Wirral Met College, St Helens College and the City of Liverpool College all run their own initiatives tailored to the learners in their communities.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority developed ESOL local planning partnerships (LPPs) to quantify demand and address specific gaps for different types of learners in the region’s nine principal providers of ESOL teaching. Initiatives include a workplace instruction ESOL pilot programme, and the purchase of a dedicated ESOL van, Chromebooks, and teaching resources to respond to employer demand.

You can read the report in full here.