The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will be dissolved in 2010 and replaced by two new agencies.

A white paper - Raising Expectations - published by education secretary Ed Balls and skills secretary John Denham proposes to replace the LSC with two smaller agencies.

The Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) which will oversee the coordination of skills training for 14-19 year olds by local authorities and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) which will handle the £4 billion annual further education budget for adult training.

Another of the SFA's responsibilities will be to manage a new England-wide careers service to help adults gain the right skills to help them into work.

The closing date for consultation responses in 9th June 2008.