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  MP fears for rural learndirect services
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Ufi, the public-private partnership behind learndirect was set up in 1998
A change to Ufi's funding model
in 2004 has cast doubt over the
long-term viability of learndirect
centres in rural areas

SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has called on the Department for Education and Skills to ensure that the 'learndirect' initiative, set up to support adults who have no formal qualifications, will continue to be run in rural areas.

Mr Bacon, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, was speaking as the National Audit Office (NAO) published its report into learndirect today (Friday 4 November, 2005). Whilst learndirect has been successful in attracting reluctant learners, it has not become as self-

  
sufficient as intended. Although Ufi changed its funding model to address this, doubt was cast over the long-term viability of some of learndirect's 2,400 centres.

Ufi, the public-private partnership behind learndirect, has received £930 million in education funding since its creation in 1998. The report finds that almost 30 per cent of its budget went on management and marketing in 2004-05, but that these high overhead costs should now be reduced.

Mr Bacon said: "I am very concerned that if Ufi's network of learndirect centres proves to be unsustainable, rural areas will suffer most. Ufi has already begun to make savings and the NAO has identified where more are possible. I would urge the Department to work with Ufi to make these savings as quickly as possible and ensure there is no loss of rural provision".  

4 November 2005

See also:
NAO REPORT: Ufi and the learndirect service
SPEECHES: Individual Learning Accounts

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