Adult skills courses face criticism

Professor Anna Vignoles, of the Institute of Education in London argued that while basic skills were essential, they were only truly effective if learnt during childhood.

The Government has pumped millions of pounds into improving adults' reading, writing and maths to help them get and keep jobs.

Ministers have said that particularly during the recession, it was vital adults had the skills they needed to find work, and this in turn would help to boost Britain's economic competitiveness.

But the UK was still in the bottom half of international basic skills tables produced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Prof Vignoles told the Institute for Fiscal Studies conference in Cambridge.

She said: "It is well known that an individual's basic skills level affects how much they earn, but research shows that the three Rs are best acquired in childhood. Policies and qualifications to help adults develop them have proved largely ineffective."

Prof Vignoles said figures from the National Audit Office showed £995 million was spent on the Government's Skills For Life programme, which aimed to improve basic skills, in 2006/07, with a course costing an average of £500.

Short training programmes of up to 20 hours may be worthwhile, because they reached people who were not taking part in any other kind of education.

But she added: "The array of low-level qualifications available to adults has not boosted productivity and earnings. Gains from workplace courses are particularly small."

Adults needed intensive programmes lasting between 100 and 150 hours to build their skills, she said, which could be costly.