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Report reviews future role of FE Colleges

A review of Further Education colleges which calls for a ‘sharper focus to improve students' employability’ has been welcomed by the Government today.

The DfES/LSC commissioned report by Sir Andrew Foster, the Deputy Chairman of the Royal Bank of Canada, examines the key challenges and opportunities facing FE colleges. Recommendations made in the report include:

• A single inspectorate and tougher approach to failing colleges with colleges encouraged to be more competitive to attract students.
• Colleges to listen more to learners’ views.
• Colleges to improve their response to the needs of local and regional employers.
• Colleges to promote their role better locally.
• Funding incentives to encourage colleges to develop vocational specialisms
• Management systems and accountability to be simple and clear with a lighter centralised control. Funding based on needs and resources

Education and Skills Secretary Ruth Kelly said: "This report marks a once in a generation opportunity to reform and invest in our historically undervalued Further Education sector. I welcome Sir Andrew’s Report and agree with him that colleges need a clearer purpose, improved leadership and a sharper focus on the specific needs of learners and business. To realise the potential that the report describes will allow colleges to achieve their rightful place as the engines of economic progress and social mobility.

"FE colleges have a vital role to play in keeping 16 year olds who leave leave school engaged in education and training and to liberate the millions of adults without qualifications in literacy and numeracy. It is right that we prioritise college funding on these priority groups and ask those who can afford to pay to contribute more to the cost of their courses. For the increased investment in FE to continue we need better quality teaching and higher standards.

"There needs to be tougher penalties for colleges which fail their students and a new approach to assisting students to complete their courses. We also strongly support Sir Andrew Foster's call that we continue to eradicate the unnecessary bureaucracy which will further release resources for the front line. We need to build a dynamic, responsive FE college network that meets the needs of employers, drives up productivity and improves the employment prospects of learners."

John Cridland, Deputy Director-General of the CBI, said: "FE colleges are suffering an identity crisis and offer a confusing mish-mash of services and standards - so Sir Andrew is right to say they must concentrate on training people for work.

"But while we welcome the introduction of competition, albeit limited, to further education funding, there is a golden opportunity for the Government to go further and open up the system fully to the best training provider, regardless of origin."

Mr Cridland added: "Skills are a passport to prosperity so it is essential that any decisions which can improve training are taken, however uncomfortable. It is up to to Government to listen carefully to what Sir Andrew has to say and not duck the hard decisions which need to be made.

Commenting on the report, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "The Foster report recommendations offer a historic opportunity for further education to lead the way in improving our national productivity and social inclusion. For too long further education has been the poorest sibling in the education sector, despite training millions of people in the very skills our economy is crying out for.

"Giving learners an influential voice is to be welcomed, as is the commitment to address the workforce development needs that the report highlights as a priority.

"The report acknowledges the powerful role trade unions play in promoting training in the workplace. We will continue to lead the way in training at work, through the army of union learning reps and the development of a trade union academy, and look forward to working closely with our colleagues in the further education sector to deliver the key recommendations in this report."

Chris Banks, Chairman of The Learning and Skills Council said: "Sir Andrew’s report is a useful contribution and clearly makes the crucial link between the FE sector and the ability of this nation to compete successfully in a global market. It articulates the need for higher quality provision, linked to innovative delivery for both employers and individuals. It endorses many of the aspirations of agenda for change and we look forward to providing a full response to Sir Andrew early in 2006."

External link

For more information on the Foster Report, visit the FE Review website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/furthereducation/fereview

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