'DRASTIC' cuts to funding have left adult education courses in Somerset in a precarious position.

People due to start community-learning courses this month have been told they won’t be going ahead as planned and there are fears that trainers could lose their jobs.

The courses affected are community-based classes run by SS&L -formerly Somerset Skills and Learning. A statement on its website says: “Due to government funding cuts we are not accepting course enrolments at this time.”  

Somerset Skills and Learning was part of Somerset County Council until 2015, when it was floated off as an independent not-for-profit company. Just two years on, it appears to be struggling to survive. The cut by the Education and Skills Funding Agency means it has lost 40 per cent of its budget. 

Kathryn Baker, SS&L director of curriculum and business development said the staff were in shock following the announcement.

"Letters have been sent out to around 200 people whose courses have been put on hold," Mrs Baker said.

"Overall we have about 200 community learning courses which have apporimately 6,000 learners.

"The reaction of the whole team here was shock, the funding announcement we have been left roughly a £3m shortfall. It was completely unexpected - we had no indication that this was likely to happen," she said.

Mrs Baker said she had been in talks with the Education and Skills Funding Agency, and was making every effort to convince the government about the important role this funding plays.

The Labour leader on Somerset County Council, Leigh Redman, said: 
“The news that SS&L has suffered this huge cut is shocking. Somerset is the only county to have lost its funding for community based courses. If SS&L ceases to be viable as a result of this cut, apprenticeships and skills training that people need to get jobs could be the next to go.

“Adult education and training  for young people are vital services and it will be a scandal if people lose out because the government is withdrawing money.

"Somerset Skills and Learning had a good record in providing education and training in the county. The government must ensure that this service continues.”

One North Petherton resident who takes one of the courses said she was disappointed at the news.

She said: "These courses provide essential vocational training and support apprenticeships, as well as lifelong learning and life-enhancing new opportunities for adults.

"On a personal level, for the last few years I have been attending a rolling programme of brilliant adult education courses in art history originally run by SCC and more recently by SS&L.

"On Saturday I received a brief letter stating that all the courses I had enrolled on were postponed, including the course due to start next week. Much consternation amongst my fellow students - we have been trying to find out more and demanding refunds of fees already paid - with limited response so far. Our tutor had not been informed at all about the sudden "postponement" by the time we received our letters on Saturday."
 

The West Somerset Labour Party chair, Maureen Smith, said this was a blow to many people who were expecting to attend classes in the new academic year."

“It seems that Somerset is the only county in the country to have lost funding on this scale. 

“This is a consequence of the decision by Conservatives on the county council to out-source this important service. When Somerset Skills and Learning became a separate company, we were assured that its service would continue.

"But just two years later, courses are being postponed and the future of the whole organisation must be in doubt.  The loss of SS&L would be a severe setback to the current plans for the economic regeneration of Minehead. ”