Learning and Skills Council Information

Related Resources

LSC Capital Handbook

Floor Space Utilisation Policy

Construction and Management Consultants

eMandate

Building For Skills

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the "planning and funding high quality education and training for everyone in England other than those in universities".

The LSC provides a comprehensive service to support the development of learning spaces throughout the English regions. It has invested heavily in the renewal and modernisation of estate, in partnership with colleges and others and activity in this area has increased year on year since 1999.

There is an LSC Property Services Team and each region has a Property Adviser with responsibility for overseeing development activity within that area. JISC infoNet spoke to David Johnson, LSC Property Adviser for the North East about working in the Learning Spaces area.

Whilst Higher Education Institutions are not within the LSC's remit, some of the information on capital and property issues may be applicable to the HE sector - for instance consultancy, use of space and the breakdown of building costs.

The LSC Capital Handbook sets out the "arrangements for the administration, assessment and determination of applications to the Learning and Skills Council for consent and capital support". It includes:

• a floor space utilisation policy setting out guidance on the use of space
• a report by Turner & Townsend (Construction and Management Consultants) with Bond Bryan architects and consulting engineers, designers, planners and project managers ARUP, published in January 2006 reviewing the "...Relationship Between Building Design, Cost And Quality In The Further Education Sector"
• the National Council for Education and Training for Wales and the Scottish Further Education Funding Council have established eMandate a 'benchmarking' tool for measuring colleges' efficiency and identifying best practice
• 'Building For Skills: A Prospectus For The LSCs Capital Programme' which was published in February 2007 and gives details on LSC activity including information on promoting sustainable development