Funding for language courses in Further Education

Who funds language qualifications in Further Education?
Most language courses in Further Education are funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and qualifications listed on the DCSF section 96 qualifications database are eligible for funding.  However, qualifications on this database are not automatically funded as local LSCs make final decisions about what they will fund locally.  Check carefully with funding managers within colleges before choosing which qualifications to offer.  Most language courses in Further Education must be attached to a qualification to attract funding, although some courses offered for adults may be non-accredited and attract funding through a special fund called Personal and Community Development Learning.  For further information on LSC funding, visit the LSC funding web page. However, funding rules can be very complicated and it would be better to speak to your own funding manager to seek clarification if in doubt.

How can FE colleges fund language courses?
First of all, check with senior management and your college funding manager to see what funding is available for languages from the LSC in your local area.  If you cannot access funding from this source, there are other things which you can do:

• Some colleges use enrichment funding to run language courses.  This is additional funding for full-time learners within the 16-18 age range, the aim of which is to give students the opportunity to enhance their learning experience by taking up courses not necessarily related to their main programme of study.  Language departments would probably have to offer their programmes as part of a suite of other opportunities offered to full time 16-18 year olds, but some colleges have done this with good results.  If a language course is offered via enrichment, it may not need to be attached to a qualification.  One such college which has used enrichment funding successfully to run language courses is Hastings College. They have taught Spanish to Air Cabin Crew students for several years using enrichment funding and they do not accredit the language learning via an external accreditation. 
• You can access some funding for a small amount of language learning if your students take part in the European Leonardo da Vinci work-based learning programme.  As part of this programme, students undertake an overseas work placement as part of their chosen area of vocational study. One college which has been providing language learning as part of these programmes for many years is University College Birmingham, (formerly Birmingham College of Food).  Each year, students on hairdressing and catering courses benefit from language training in French before they undertake work placements in France.
• If you cannot source funding to run stand-alone language courses, you can embed a language programme into a full-time vocational course.  This would involve the vocational departments allocating some of the hours from the full-time course to language programmes.  The College of North East London (CONEL) does this successfully and runs fully embedded language courses in the vocational areas of business, science, travel and tourism and early years.  This has resulted in around 260 students per year undertaking language learning who would otherwise not have been able to do so.  They use either NOCN or ABC to accredit the courses. 

How will languages be funded in the new Diplomas?
Diplomas in five subjects will be taught from September 2008; Creative and Media, ICT, Construction and the Built Environment, Engineering and Society, Health and Development.  Languages can be offered as an option in the Additional/Specialist Learning (ASL) component of the Diploma and must be a full qualification. (See Diploma section for further information). For 2008, any qualifications listed on the DCSF section 96 qualifications database are eligible for funding as an option in the Diplomas.  If language qualifications are taken as part of the ASL of a Diploma, they will be included in the allocated Guided Learning Hours (GLH) and are therefore fundable.