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The Urban White Paper 2000
A NIACE Briefing on "Our Towns and Cities: the Future. Delivering an urban renaissance"
Published: December 2000
NIACE welcomes the publication of the White Paper "Our Towns and Cities: the Future. Delivering an urban renaissance" recently published by the DETR. We believe that adult learning in all its diversity, in the community and workplace, in colleges and in universities has considerable under-realised potential for building stronger communities and for engaging residents of urban neighbourhoods in activities which contribute to social and economic regeneration.
The central purpose of the paper is to arrest urban decline and it starts with a recognition of an holistic approach to policy ("joined up thinking") which recognises the need to link together a range of initiatives on housing, planning, education, transport and law and order issues. There are no new measures relating specifically and explicitly to adult community education. However, there are a range of opportunities through which providers and promoters of education will be able to demonstrate how adult learning can make a positive contribution to change and why education and training initiatives should be at the forefront of strategies to implement change.
Targets and approaches from a number of government departments, including the DfEE, have been drawn together under "Our Towns and Cities" and the influence of the Cabinet Office, through the Social Exclusion Unit’s Policy Action Team initiative, is apparent. Although the paper applies only to England, many of the approaches are likely to be adapted and adopted within the devolved administrations.
The main measures impacting on those involved in adult learning are likely to be:
- the creation of Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs),
- a boost in the resources and influence of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs),
- a continued high profile of skills for employment and business,
- an increase in higher education’s involvement with community and business.
This response covers each of these in turn, along with a number of lesser matters.
Key |
| LSP – Local Strategic Partnership |
| LSC – Learning and Skills Council |
| LLSC – Local Learning and Skills Council |
| LLP – Local Learning Partnership |
| RDA – Regional Development Agency |
| GO – Government Office for the regions |
1. Local Strategic Partnerships
LSPs are to be drawn from local authorities, all service providers (e.g. schools, police, health and social services), local businesses, the full range of community groups and the voluntary sector. They were proposed by the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal in order to make joint working the norm, and in order to actively include the community and other key stakeholders.
These are seen as a key mechanism in delivering the aims of the Urban White Paper. They are intended to be a local manifestation of joined up governing, and by involving local people, groups and businesses they will offer local solutions to local problems. Their role is to:
 | Develop a Community Strategy |
| Agree priorities for action |
| Co-ordinate work of local partnerships |
The government’s intention is that LSPs will not add another layer of bureaucracy to managing local regeneration schemes, but to rationalise and co-ordinate existing partnerships in conjunction with the Government Offices in the regions (GOs), who will have an enhanced role in co-ordinating regional government activity. A Community Strategy must be drawn up by the LSP if certain funds are to be accessed, for example, the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.
| NIACE Comment Great emphasis has been placed on the intention that LSPs will not add to current bureaucracy in managing local regeneration schemes, but it is hard to see how this can be avoided. A variety of partnerships already exist in many areas for current schemes. Another partnership with discrete areas of work (e.g. the Community Strategy) will require considerable commitment from the members, and will be in addition to current partnership commitments. LSPs will run parallel to local Learning Partnerships and local LSCs and will have some overlap in their agendas, especially in relation to planning community education provision. Therefore, involvement in LSPs by champions of lifelong learning, whether providers or community groups, will be desirable. A high priority for local Learning Partnerships, as the LSCs and LSPs develop, will be to establish how the new structures will fit together. NIACE will be looking at ways to support involvement in all kinds of local learning and strategic partnerships. There is also a need for LSPs to be active in securing a full range of their potential members, particularly from the voluntary and community sector. This is particularly important given that this has been a consistent problem for existing partnerships. The Government has acknowledged that economic and social regeneration go hand in hand, and they envisage that the private sector and communities will have a strong voice on LSPs. It is also important that community groups and individuals are able to take part in this mechanism. This is why the White Paper highlights community support organisations such as Councils for Voluntary Service, Volunteer Bureaux and Community Development Agencies as facilitators of this process. The challenge is what else needs to be done to ensure that all voices are heard and how to ensure representation without the LSPs becoming too cumbersome. |
2. Regional Development Agencies
The Regional Development Agencies received a big if not unexpected boost with increases in both resources and influence. RDAs are "government sponsored" agencies with a business-led board and agenda, charged with promoting sustainable regional economic growth, enterprise and regeneration. From April 2001 there will be an increase in their overall budget from £1.2 billion to £1.7 billion. This will be matched with increased powers to drive regional regeneration and the ability to move up to 20% of funds between budgets to target the most pressing issues within regions. They will be key members of LSPs and local LSCs, thus giving weight to their emphasis on business.
| NIACE comment These measures are intended to strengthen the role of RDAs as leaders of economic development, promoting innovation and enterprise in the regions. They will work with the local LSCs, business sector groups and NTOs to ensure that skills training matches the needs of the labour market. Providing skills for industry is important, but skills development also has a vital role to play in other aspects of urban renewal. There needs to be a clear recognition of the importance of skills development to social regeneration objectives, and a broader interpretation of the value of such skills. Providing this balance will be an important role for community based education. The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal highlights the importance of lifelong learning to urban regeneration. It will be important for providers and practitioners to become involved in the development of the new structures and ensure that the voices of all adult learners are heard where the decisions affecting their opportunities are made. RDAs will also influence the way central government policies and programmes are developed and implemented to maximise their contribution to regional economic objectives. This has been a key role of the Government Offices in the regions until now, and it is not made clear in the White Paper how these two bodies will interact with one another, and where the boundaries of responsibility lie. Interaction with both Government Offices and RDAs will be increasingly important for influencing the national education agenda, and the work of LSCs at a local and national level. |
3. Skills
The importance of skills for regional economic success has been strengthened again by the arrival of a White Paper backing the RDAs so strongly. People equipped with the skills employers need, and with motivation and opportunity to work are key factors for economic success, placing them firmly on the RDAs’ agendas. ICT skills are also emphasised in the context of the need to enhance skills and allow easy access to information, this will take place partly in the form of UKonline.
| NIACE comment It will be important to maximise the impact that the current political will and available resources can have for the most disadvantaged communities. Lifelong learning is strongly linked to skills and employment, and training is seen very much as meeting a regional economic need. Improved skills are also important for employability, confidence, citizenship, entrepreneurship and community involvement – all of which are vital to urban renewal. Therefore, those involved in adult learning should welcome the focus on skills, but at the same time try to broaden the context in which their value is seen. It is also important to keep individual needs on the agenda. UKonline will allow voluntary and community organisations, and LEAs to develop learning centres for ICT skills. See the NIACE website at www.niace.org.uk/Research/ICT/ukonline.htm for more details. |
4. Higher Education
The White Paper reinforces encouragement for Higher Education involvement with businesses and community groups, to enhance access and help meet targets set to enable 50% of young people to benefit from HE by the time they reach 30.
RDAs will continue to work with HE institutions and HE regional associations to optimise higher education’s contribution to urban regeneration. The Higher Education Innovations Fund is intended to increase the capability of HE to respond to the needs of business and the wider community.
| NIACE comment Again these are not new measures, but they emphasise the Government’s commitment to involving local providers in the urban renewal process. A strong role for HE in urban regeneration gives plenty of scope for HEIs to improve links with the community and with business. Both Further and Higher Education have a key role in supporting community regeneration through the training they provide – this link should be supported and celebrated. Higher education also has much to offer in the key area of research skills; the issue here will be how communities are able to influence the local research agenda and develop the skills to participate. There need to be robust mechanisms for connecting widening participation in HE with regeneration initiatives, such as the Excellence Challenge policy proposals. |
Other Matters
The White Paper also touches on:
| The aim to spread neighbourhood learning by enabling local LSCs to implement recommendations of the Skills PAT. For example, "To ensure that people in disadvantaged areas have access to the education and training they need, there should be a step change in the level of ‘first-rung’ provision that is available to them. Such provision should be delivered where people live through neighbourhood learning centres…" |
| Importance of full representation on both national and local LSCs e.g. for Older People and faith groups. |
| The need for work/life balance. |
| Inclusion of basic skills targets underline the links between education and social renewal. |
Culture, leisure and sporting activities are recognised for the role they play in promoting and developing lifelong learning.
Structures
There will be a Cabinet Committee on Urban Affairs, with support from the Sounding Board on Urban Issues, and the Urban Sub-group of the Central –Local Partnership. A DETR based Urban Policy Unit will take forward the principles in the Urban White Paper.
| NIACE Comment - Conclusion Overall, the role of adult learning in social regeneration has been recognised in this White Paper, but the view has been somewhat limited to the contribution of a skilled workforce to attracting businesses to regions. Meeting the skills needs of residents of disadvantaged areas is extremely important, as the conclusions of the Policy Action Team on Skills shows. The potential of lifelong learning among community groups as a catalyst for change and an agent for regeneration has not been sufficiently strongly emphasised. The challenge for education providers, voluntary and community groups alike is to become involved in the new structures and embed the culture of lifelong learning within it, not only for the sake of employability skills, but also as an agent for change. The challenge for RDAs and LSPs is to retain a broad view of the contribution of skills development to urban renewal and to ensure that the way they function admits diverse perspectives, particularly those from community based organisations who may find it harder to engage with the process. |
References and links: |
|
| DETR’s Urban White Paper DETR’s Rural White Paper Social Exclusion Unit for PAT reports LGA briefing on Urban White Paper (PDF File) LGA briefing on Rural White Paper |
www.regeneration.detr.gov.uk/policies.htm www.wildlife-countryside.detr.gov.uk www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/seu/ |
