Home > News > August 2007 > 08 August 2007

LSC to invest almost £60m in technology for learners

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has today announced plans to invest £59.8 million during 2007/08 into technology to improve the learner experience in post-16 education.

The LSC says the investment is almost £20 million more than last year and will contribute to learning infrastructure, student equipment upgrades and expanding the numbers of mobile devices available for students.

Jon Gamble, the LSC's director for adults and lifelong learning, said: "Our increased investment into technology will help us to create a more dynamic and forward looking Further Education System.

"Technology plays such an important role in learning and an understanding of the latest devices is also vital for many careers. Our programme of investment will ensure that more learners have access to the facilities they need to enrich their learning experience and their employability."

According to the LSC, the investment programme will mainly focus on:

• Procurement of appropriate technology to expand the LSC's Learning for Living and Work strategy, and to support the transformation and increased supply of high-quality, local provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
• Major upgrades to IT equipment in the offender learning sector
• Expansion of the number of FE colleges introducing mobile learning devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and mp3 players, into their learning and teaching strategies
• Supporting innovative proposals from work-based learning providers seeking to embed technology into their learning programmes, through the Learning Innovation Grant
• Maintenance of JANET connections and access to JISC Regional Support Centres and other services for providers

Karen Price, CEO of e-skills UK - the sector skills council for IT and telecommunications, said: "We welcome the announcement by the LSC to increase funding for the use of technology in Further Education.

"Technology has become integral to the way we live and work and plays an increasingly vital role in education. It supports flexible, personalised and interactive learning, which not only helps to engage and motivate students, but also enables them to make the most of learning opportunities regardless of where they are or the amount of time they have available. In addition, it helps to develop valuable IT skills which are becoming essential for most jobs."

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