A System Under Strain: Reflections on the Government’s Post-16 Education & Skills White Paper
A System Under Strain: Reflections on the Government’s Post-16 Education & Skills White Paper
The Lifelong Education Institute (LEI) recently held a series of roundtables to discuss the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper.
The purpose was to explore the implications for adult learner progression, and to identify how education providers and policymakers can accelerate lifelong learning for working adults.
Taken together, the roundtables suggest that while the White Paper articulates an ambitious vision, it currently lacks the systemic coherence, adult focus, and aligned incentives required to deliver lasting change. The most significant policy gap is the absence of a credible adult learning strategy that integrates funding, employer incentives, careers guidance, and place-based delivery into a single, navigable system.
Published:
20 January 2026
Key recommendations include:
Rebalance the System Towards Lifelong and Adult Learning
Reform the Lifelong Learning Entitlement to Ensure Genuine Accessibility
Align Employer Incentives with Productivity and Long-Term Skills Needs
Reduce Fragmentation and Ensure National Consistency Within Devolution
Reconnect Schools to the Post-16 Skills System
Clarify Governance, Accountability and Parliamentary Scrutiny
Address Financial Sustainability and Capacity Constraints in FE and HE
Treat Inclusion as Core System Infrastructure, Not an Add-On