Ed Balls Confirms Chair and CEO of Young People’s Learning Agency

Department of Schools Children and Families - 01/07/09

The ASCL Bill, currently before Parliament, sets out to create a more efficient, integrated and locally accountable post-16 education system – supported by the YPLA and the new Skills Funding Agency. And today’s White Paper, Your Child, Your Schools, Our Future sets out the major next steps in reforming the schools system with a new Pupil Guarantee and Parent Guarantee, which gives every young person at 16 or 17 a legal entitlement to an education or training place every September.

These appointments are a clear step towards making the YPLA a reality and ensuring a smooth transition to the new arrangements. The YPLA will play a key role in 16-19 provision, working with Government and local authorities to help develop and deliver their vision and plans for young people's learning.

As a new non-departmental public body, the YPLA will support local authorities to commission high quality provision for all young people, whilst ensuring budgetary control. It will also have responsibility for the funding, support and challenge of open academies, which will transfer from DSCF to the YPLA through an agency-type agreement with the Secretary of State.

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, said:

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Les as Chair of YPLA Committee and Peter as Chief Executive for the YPLA. The YPLA will be a key new NDPB for DCSF and these appointments provide us with the strong leaders we need to shape the organisation during the transition period.

I am confident that Les and Peter will ensure that the YPLA's strategies, values and standards of performance reflect the needs of all young people in each area of the country."

Les and Peter will both bring valuable experience to these roles. Les has extensive experience in the education world. He was Principal and Chief Executive of Tyne Metropolitan College until August 2006 and received an OBE in 1996 for his services to education as Head of Norham Community Technology College. He has held several Executive Director roles in local councils and also founded Northern Education, a consultancy dedicated to supporting improvements in services to children and young people. Northern Education are currently in the early stages of discussion about sponsoring an academy in the north of England.

Peter is currently Director of Local Transformation within DCSF. He has extensive experience in the design and implementation of programmes to improve opportunities for young people, having worked on the development of apprenticeships and further education. In his current role he is responsible for support and challenge of local authorities across their responsibilities for all children’s services.

LSC National Council Chair, Chris Banks said:

"Les and Peter’s appointments mark an important milestone in the transition to the new organisation and in realising our ambitions for young people. Les will be a member of the LSC National Council and I’m sure we will benefit from his skills and expertise. I and other members of the Board very much look forward to working with him during this interim period.”

Les Walton said:

“I am delighted with this appointment. I look forward to leading the YPLA Committee through its transition period and potentially beyond to ensure that we deliver the best possible education to all young people.”

Peter Lauener said:

“I am very excited to be given this opportunity to help shape this key new body that will have such an important role in helping to deliver excellent education for young people. I look forward to working closely with local authorities as well as with academies, other schools, colleges and independent training providers so that together we can improve opportunities for all our young people.”

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