The Scottish Government has published a ‘pre-legislative paper’ Putting Learners at the Centre: Delivering Our Ambitions for Post-16 Education which somewhat unexpectedly goes beyond legislative ideas to announce:

“Working with local authorities, the Third Sector and other partners, we will develop a Community Learning and Development strategy that takes account of its contribution to wider national priorities. Here we will set out our expectations of CLD providers in improving people’s life chances by improving their employability and progression to further learning, vocational training and work.”

The paper covers the whole range of post 16 learning, with its legislative proposals looking at ideas like “a new duty on widening access to higher education”, and makes several positive references to the role of Community Learning and Development, such as:

“CLD, as we have already recognised and in which local authorities make a very significant investment, has an important role in improving people’s job prospects, particularly those who have been out of work and learning for a long time, by:

• providing a ‘first step’ towards employment;
• delivering family learning including raising the literacy levels of parents and carers;
• improving connections referrals between employers, and agencies that support unemployed people, and adult literacy and numeracy providers (given the strong correlation between long-term unemployment and low literacy).”

The deadline for responses to the paper is 23rd December 2011. To keep up to date with developments as the consultation progresses, visit www.engageforeducation.org