THE Learning and Skills Councils (LSC) will for the first time ever bring together all post-16 funding into a single body.

While the Government recognises that a lot of good work has been done, it also recognises that in order to get the best value for money, the funding systems for Training and Enterprise Councils (TECS) and the Further Education Funding Council needed to be reviewed.

Too many administrative layers meant too little money was reaching the very people that they were trying to help - learner and employers. With this in mind the Government introduced a radical framework, designed to address the fact that:

* Too many people are excluded from the benefits that learning can bring.

* Aspirations and staying on rates in education remain too low.

* The system fails a significant section of the community, often the most vulnerable sections.

* People with low skills and poor qualifications are locked in a cycle of disadvantage.

* Education and training and not relevant and accessible enough to both individuals and employers.

* People need more advice and support with more flexible ways of learning.

It is from these proposals that a national LSC to replace TECS and the Further Education and Funding Council and a new youth support service - the Connexions Service - were born.

The LSC fits in with the Government's vision which is to build a new culture of learning that underpins national competitiveness and personal success, encourages creativity and innovation and helps build a cohesive society.

This vision is based on:

* Investing in learning to benefit everyone.

* Lifting the barriers to learning.

* Putting people first.

* Sharing responsibility with employers, employees and the community

* Achieving world class standards and value for money.

* Working together as the key to success.

Nationally the LSC has an annual budget of £6bn to provide post-16 education and training (excluding higher education).

It will be responsible for:

* Funding colleges from the Further Education Funding Council for England.

* Advising the Government on the National Learning targets from the National Advisory Council for education and Training Targets (NACETT).

* Funding Modern Apprenticeships, National Traineeships and other Government-funded training and workforce development from the TECs.

* Developing, in partnership with local education authorities, arrangements for adult and community learning.

* Providing information, advice and guidance to adults.

* Working with pre-16 education to ensure coherence across all 14-19 education.

The national LSC will allocate the majority of its budget to a network of 47 local LSCs, of which the Tees Valley is one. These will take responsibility for raising standards and for ensuring that the training and education that is often on offer matches the learning and skill needs of the local area.

The local LSCs will have some flexibility, within a national framework, to decide on how resources can be used to raise participation, attainment and skills levels in their area.

Typical LSCs will have a budget of £100m to be used to assist up to 100,000 learners.