West Yorkshire Combined Authority has agreed to raise its adult education budget in line with inflation to address “genuine concern” from providers over soaring costs.
The boost follows a 13.5 per cent increase for Greater London to adult learning at GCSE level and below, while the West Midlands Combined Authority announced in December a 10 per cent uplift to its adult education budget (AEB) for this year.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority agreed the 10 per cent rise for its formula-funded AEB, applied retrospectively for all enrolments at level 2 and below for 2022/23.
Tracy Brabin, the authority’s Labour mayor, said: “Without this uplift in funding rates, providers report a genuine concern they would have had to reduce their offer to learners in West Yorkshire, reducing hours of courses, increasing class sizes and reducing teaching assistant support. Some providers may even have had to stop provision which is no longer viable.
