ESOL provision is an excellent example of how metro mayors can stamp their mark on adult education in a way that is as much inclusive as it is economically advantageous. Learning and Work Institute identified for Greater London that there was not just a pressing need to respond better to residents’ demand for ESOL learning but also more capacity and expertise in the delivery of ESOL provision.

Devolved employability programmes and the adult education budget are an established part of the devolution landscape. But now provision is being transformed. Caroline Fox explains why devolution can deliver more workforce development in local communities with programmes that can also be more inclusive.