A NEW group which will spearhead the planning and funding of all post-16 education throughout Greater Manchester from April has been launched.

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC), Greater Manchester, is one of 47 such organisations established throughout the country.

Chairman Andrew Goldstone said: "The importance of improving skills in this region is paramount to ensure that Greater Manchester is able to compete with the best in the world.

"training must be at the top of the agenda for businesses if they are to be competitive in a changing world and education must also be more responsive to the current and future needs of businesses."

Greater Manchester LSC decided that its priorities were to:

Manage a smooth transition to the future arrangements.

Increase participation and achievement rates of young people.

Increase the demand for learning by adults.

Maximise the contribution of education and training to economic performance. Promote equality of opportunity.

Raise standards of post-16 education and training in the Greater Manchester area.

Council members bring a wide range of experience and expertise to the local LSC.

They agreed that there was a huge potential to make a real difference by working with partners to ensure that the training delivered meets the needs of businesses, individuals and the Greater Manchester economy.

They were determined to succeed in making Greater Manchester a learning community in which everyone has the opportunity to go as far as their talents and efforts will take them.

The Learning and Skills Council is the new Government body which will be responsible for the planning and funding of all education and training post-16.

It will increase the number of people over16 actively engaged in learning, including those who are disadvantaged or excluded, make learning more relevant to individuals and companies and get better value for public money in post-16 education and training by cutting red tape.

The councils will also raise standards of post-16 education and training and work to promote the value of learning.

Indivduals appointed to the LSCs have been chosen because they represent local businesses, communities, employees, the disadvantaged, young people, those with special needs, adult learners and those who face discrimination.

LSCs are also representative of the areas they serve and reflect, better than previous training systems.the diversity of the population of England.

Of those appointed approximately seven per cent are from an ethnic minority background, in line with the population as a whole, and one in three members are women.

Local council member appointments, in accordance with Lord Nolan's principles, have been merit based and free from political bias.

The new body will take decisions about the range and balance of local provision.

These include analysing local labour market needs, discussing and agreeing the plans for individual FE colleges and training providers, deploying locally managed budgets to meet learning and skills needs, improving the training infrastructure, promoting learning and drawing up local workforce development plans.

Above all, the new system pulls together different funding streams, planning bodies and delivery mechanisms.

Mr Richard Hurst, chairman of Bolton and Bury Chamber, has been appointed to the board of Greater Manchester LSC.