ESOL provision is an excellent example of how metro mayors can stamp their mark on adult education in a way that is as much inclusive as it is economically advantageous. Prior to the relevant budget being devolved in 2019, Learning and Work Institute identified for Greater London that there was not just a pressing need to respond better to residents’ demand for ESOL learning but also more capacity and expertise in the delivery of ESOL provision. Twin Employment & Training explain how they support the training of ESOL teachers funded by the GLA.
It was always going to be interesting to see how the metro mayors would stamp their mark on the devolved allocations of the Adult Education Budget (AEB) in a way that would differentiate their programmes from the nationally run one.
In London, Mayor Sadiq Khan identified English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) as a major priority within the capital’s AEB offer. Partly prompted by London’s willingness to contribute to the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme which ran from 2014 to 2020 and the fact over 50% of ESOL provision takes place in the capital, the GLA asked the Learning and Work Institute (L&W) to undertake a mapping exercise well in advance of the planned AEB devolution in 2019.
