As a long term supporter of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and credit-based funding, we welcome the government’s announcement today of their commitment to deliver the LLE. The new diversity of learning options created will be essential for a skilled workforce and a thriving society. 

GuildHE’s Director of Policy and Strategy Dr Kate Wicklow has been co-chairing the Department for Education’s Higher Education working group on the LLE, together with Universities UK. 

The higher education sector has a strong reputation for offering high-quality qualifications and GuildHE members in particular root their curriculum design and pedagogy on applied technical and vocational qualifications which meet the needs of their local regions and the specialist industries they serve. We now have the opportunity as a sector to offer our government ideas about how the LLE could be best utilised to support learner engagement, upskill society and innovate higher education delivery.

The LLE launch is planned for academic year 2026/27 for learners studying courses starting on or after 1 January 2027. The statement can be read in full, with references to the LLE found on pages 83, 122 and 143, as part of the Autumn Budget Statement.