The Department for Employment and Learning is warning the public to be vigilant when they sign up for Individual Learning Accounts this autumn.

The advice follows recent reports of people being approached by canvassers offering to arrange an Individual Learning Account (ILA), giving the impression that free training can be provided as a result. It has also been reported that people or community and sports organisations are being offered cash inducements to get friends or members to sign up for ILAs.

Speaking about these allegations the Department’s Head of Lifelong Learning and Qualifications, Billy Nelson said: "We are currently investigating recent reports about canvassers claiming to represent particular training providers or even a Government Department. These unauthorised approaches are outside of the ILA scheme and genuine providers do not operate in this way.

"Our advice if you are approached to sign up for an ILA in a suspicious manner is to contact the Learndirect help-line 0800 100 900 or the Department for Employment and Learning. If you have already received your ILA card under no circumstances should you give your individual membership number to anyone until you are actually signing up for your course with the approved provider of your choice.”

Since the scheme was introduced nearly a year ago, 20,000 Northern Ireland people have used their Individual Learning Accounts. In a recent survey over 90 per cent of ILA users were perfectly satisfied with the learning they had received. (MB)