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Labour offers every adult six years of free education in £3bn election pledge

Jeremy Corbyn will today unveil plans to give adult six years of free study if Labour wins the election on December 12: REUTERS
Jeremy Corbyn will today unveil plans to give adult six years of free study if Labour wins the election on December 12: REUTERS

Labour plans to give every adult to right to six years of free study in a bid to stamp out a skills shortage in the UK.

The party's general election pledge will cost more than £3 billion and aims to bring vocational education in line with university degrees.

Jeremy Corbyn and shadow education secretary Angela Rayner will propose free A-level access for adults and grants for low-earners as part of a commitment to forge a national education service providing "cradle-to-grave" learning for all.

They want the proposals to aid the party’s "green industrial revolution" by giving adults the skills needed to tackle the climate crisis and to prevent people being shut out of work by automation.

Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson (AFP via Getty Images)
Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson (AFP via Getty Images)

Tories were critical of the plans, claiming Labour will not be able to follow through on its plans due to Brexit uncertainty, with the party backing a further EU referendum.

Labour leader Mr Corbyn and Ms Rayner will to visit Blackpool on Tuesday to pledge the free entitlement to six years of study for undergraduate degrees and equivalents such as diplomas and foundation degrees.

The entitlement would also be extended to certificates and diplomas of higher education in areas such as engineering technicians, nursing associates and professional accounting technicians.

Any adult without an A-level or equivalent qualification would be able to attend college and study them for free.

Grants to support low-income adults through their courses would also be made available if Labour wins the December 12 election.

Ms Rayner is expected to pledge to "throw open the door for adults to study,” and to add: "We will make free education a right, to ensure we have the skills we need to allow our economy to rise to the opportunities of the future."

Mr Corbyn is planning to say Labour will ensure "skills and vocational qualifications are valued the same as university degrees"

He will add: "Tomorrow's jobs are in green and high-tech industries. We need people to have the skills to take those jobs.

"By ensuring the ultra-rich pay their way, we can provide training to everybody who needs it."

The spending proposals are estimated by Labour to come in at £2.6 billion on education entitlement and a further £573 million on maintenance grants in 2023/24.

Labour said funding for the pledge will be set out in the party's manifesto, but higher taxes on the top earners and reversals to giveaways to big businesses have been hinted at.

Federation of Small Businesses national chairman Mike Cherry said: "Retraining and lifelong learning in the workplace is a vital part of ensuring that employers have a skilled workforce fit for the future.

"These proposals show some good promise and highlight the need to ensure that education and training are an integral part of modern working life and ensuring no-one is left behind - particularly in relation to obtaining digital skills."

Conservative Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said Labour "is making promises that it simply won't be able to fulfil" because its plan to hold another EU referendum means the party "won't be able to focus on domestic priorities like education".

"Only Boris Johnson and the Conservatives will get Brexit done and keep our economy strong, which means we can focus on the people's priorities like education and the NHS," he added.

But National Education Union joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted welcomed the announcement following "years of devastating funding cuts" under the Conservatives.

"Introducing free education at all stages of life - from the early years through to lifelong learning - is the right thing to do both for the rights of individuals and to re-skill the economy to meet the challenges that lie ahead, particularly those posed by the climate emergency," she said.

Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Geoff Barton said: "It would clearly require a great deal of planning and resourcing to ensure that there is sufficient capacity, but we are in a strong position to deliver this ambition, building on the existing expertise in our colleges and universities."

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