Dear Constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the Union Learning Fund (ULF). I am, along with many of my colleagues, deeply concerned over the decision to cut the fund from March 2011.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has highlighted how for more than 20 years the ULF has supported working people to access skills and training at work, through their unions. The TUC has noted that the ULF delivers an estimated net contribution to the economy of more than £1.4 billion as a result of a boost to jobs, wages and productivity. Productivity in the British economy lags well behind Germany and France, for example, who take a more rounded view towards skills learning. This decision won’t help with closing the productivity gap.

The scheme benefits workers, our economy and business and has reached thousands of learners over the years, many with no prior qualifications. I believe that the Government must urgently reconsider the decision to cut the ULF.

The Government recently stated that the decision on the ULF was taken in light of its “expanded commitment to skills development through the National Skills Fund, and Lifetime Skills Guarantee.” It stated that overall, it is investing much more in adult skills retraining.

Now is a crucial time to help people with new skills and retraining, and I am deeply concerned that the opportunity to access the ULF is being taken away from working people. It is a crass decision.

I am also concerned that the measures announced in the Lifetime Skills Guarantee will not reverse the impact of a decade of cuts and will not give workers the skills and support they need in the months ahead.

I have long called for investment in the skills of working people and those seeking work. They are, and always have been, the greatest asset in our economy. It is only by making the most of all their potential that we can truly recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve a lasting and shared prosperity.

I can assure you that I will continue to monitor developments closely and push the Government to reconsider the decision to cut the ULF.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP