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Denham joins local authorities to help target funds for English language classes

DEPARTMENT FOR INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS News Release (55) issued by COI News Distribution Service on 13 May 2009

* 21 local authorities to spearhead new approach for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Local authorities will have a bigger say to help determine who needs English language lessons in their local area, Skills Secretary John Denham announced today. Publishing plans to re-prioritise funding for ESOL classes to support community cohesion, Mr Denham also announced the 21 local authorities who will take this approach forward.

The new approach follows the decision by the Skills Secretary to refocus the £300 million of ESOL spending on long-term UK residents and away from short-term migrants to the UK. He believes that it is important that those with a long-term commitment to remain in the UK should be the ones to benefit from this investment which will help improve their job prospects, and encourage community cohesion.

Local authorities are best placed to help identify those groups whose poor English language skills currently act as a barrier to full integration into the economy and society.

Skills Secretary John Denham said:

"Since 2001, over two million people have been helped to improve their language skills and funding for ESOL has broadly trebled. Speaking English is vital for everyone living and working in the UK. It helps people get jobs, support their families and play a full part in society. That's why we are spending around £300m this year on ESOL provision.

"I want this spending to be a real investment in our future to secure long-term benefits for our communities. That's why we must focus ESOL funding on those who are currently least equipped to integrate, so that we make the biggest possible contribution to improving community cohesion. The plans published today set out how we will do this.

"It's clear that local areas should have a bigger say in defining their own priorities for ESOL provision to reflect what's needed in their area. That's why we're asking local authorities to work with us to identify their local priorities for ESOL."

In 2007, Our Shared Future, a report by the Commission on Integration and Cohesion, made clear that the ability to speak a common language is a key factor in securing understanding and integration between communities. Learning and using English not only helps people to become more employable, it also contributes to the nation's economy. And it means too that ESOL learners can support their families better, access necessary services and play a full part in society.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said:

"Being able to speak English is vital to successful integration, helping people who've made a long-term commitment to live in Britain, find work, get to know their neighbours and involve themselves in their local community.

"Local authorities know their communities best and they have a key role to play in ensuring that the people who will benefit most have access to this support."

The approach set out in A New Approach to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), published today, builds on the responses made to the ESOL consultation from last year and from the changes to ESOL funding introduced over the past two years to make sure that people able to pay for training do so and that Government funding is focussed on those people most in need of help.

Key to this policy's success will be identifying priority groups at the local level. Local authorities, the Learning and Skills Council and local colleges and training providers will work with other community groups to identify the most vulnerable people in their neighbourhood who need to improve their English skills. Using their knowledge of local demographics, migration and employment patterns, local partners will identify people who are not currently accessing provision and consider how to overcome the barriers preventing them.

To date, activity has focused in the four test areas of Ealing, Peterborough, Manchester City and Salford. A number of local authority pathfinders will now implement the new approach and will inform full roll-out of the new approach when it goes ahead nationally across England from September. The pathfinder areas are:

Birmingham City Council
Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Bristol City Council
Derby City Council
Leeds City Council
Leicester City Council
Lincolnshire County Council
London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Ealing
London Borough of Hounslow
London Borough of Islington
London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Southwark
London Borough of Wandsworth
Newcastle City Council
Manchester City Council
Peterborough City Council
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Salford City Council
Slough Borough Council
Westminster City Council

Notes to Editors

1. Our Shared Future, published by the Commission on Integration and Cohesion, was published on 14 June 2007 and can be found at: http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Education/documents/2007/06/14/oursharedfuture.pdf

2. The consultation 'Focusing English for Speakers of Other Languages on Community Cohesion' ran from 04 January 2008 until 04 April 2008 and was a full public consultation. See here for John Denham's comments on the consultation: http://www.dius.gov.uk/consultations/esol.aspx

3. Today's publication, A New Approach to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) can be found at http://www.dius.gov.uk.

4. The 21 pathfinders are inclusive of the four test areas: Ealing, Salford, Peterborough and Manchester City.

For further information, please contact Jane Parsons in the DIUS press office on 020 3300 8928.