THE North-East entered a new phase in post-16 education yesterday, with the launch of the Learning and Skills Council.

The council is a public body set up to increase the number of people in education and training outside higher education in England, and replaces the Further Education Funding Council and the Training and Enterprise Councils.

It has 47 branches throughout the country and a national budget of £6bn.

The County Durham council was launched yesterday at a ceremony in Durham, which was attended by councillors, representatives from the education and business sectors, and individuals who have benefited from learning opportunities.

Austin McNamara, executive director, said: "The council will be responsible for encouraging more people into learning for a longer period and to a higher standard, and it will work hard to remove the barriers that prevent people from learning and fulfilling their potential."

There are also branches of the Learning and Skills Council in Tyne and Wear, based in Gateshead, Tees Valley, in Middlesbrough, and North Yorkshire, which has its office in York.