On Friday 23/10/09 Ed Vaizey, Member of Parliament for Wantage and Didcot, visited Qube’s Wallingford offices to meet with Qube’s CEO Debbie Gardiner and Commercial Director Sam Zalcman. The focus of the meeting was to discuss the current issues being experienced within the work based learning sector as a result of LSC funding restrictions within the employer responsive budgets and contracts. During the meeting they examined the effect this was having on potential learners, employers and private training providers. Qube’s forecasts and projections were used to present the facts and to illustrate the direct impact these funding restrictions would have on Qube. Additionally it was agreed that the data and trends identified would be replicated across the entire sector. Key to the discussions was the implication of fiscal year budgets and academic year contracts. The objectives of the meeting from Qube’s perspective were to secure the commitment and support of our local MP and to agree the key ‘questions’ to be tabled in parliament; these objectives were met.
This meeting follows on in support of the recent press releases by the Association of Learning Providers (ALP) which included an interview with Sam Zalcman and statements / interviews with a number of Qube’s employers;
• Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Continuum Care and Education Group Ltd
• Zest Catering
• Ringshill Care
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Jane Gretton from Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liz Jones from Continuum Care and Education Group Ltd, Shawn Brown from Zest Catering and Audrey Thorpe from Ringshill Care, for their continued support with this campaign.
Please see the following links for full details of the press releases -
The Guardian: Click here
The Times Educational Supplement (TES): Click here
People Management magazine (the official CIPD publication): Click here
New Start (regeneration publication): Click here
The Financial Times: Click here
Personnel Today: Click here
FE News: Click here
Yorkshire Post: Click here