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Employers the key to the future of further education says Clarke

Education and Skills Secretary Charles Clarke has congratulated the further education sector for the strides they had made over the last few years but encouraged the sector to engage more with employers for a more successful future.

Speaking earlier this week at the Association of Colleges' (AoC) annual conference at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham, Charles Clarke outlined some of the major improvements made by the further education sector:

* the increase in student numbers from around 3 million to around 4 million

* an increase in college success rates from 59 per cent in 2000/1 to 68 per cent in 2002/3

* meeting the target of 750,000 adults achieving their first qualification in either literacy or numeracy

* an increase in the number of apprenticeships with 255,000 young people on apprenticeship programmes today compared with 75,000 in 1997

"The Further Education sector is the engine that drives forward much of our 5 Year Strategy for Children and Learners," said Clarke. "That is why substantial investment has been, and is being, made in the sector after years of neglect. Our plans will mean over 1 billion of extra funding for Further Education over the current spending review period. The sector's response has already been impressive. Results and participation has improved and there is greater than ever student satisfaction."

"But, further reform needs to accompany this extra investment. The government cannot and should not be expected to fund everything. Employers and students as personal beneficiaries should also contribute.

"That is not meant to be a threat. It is simply the reality. Even with the extra public investment, the overall pot of funding needs to grow. That means diversifying income sources, finding new business, and collecting more income from fees. This is something I have urged from Higher Education Institutions and it is something I expect from the further education sector as well.

"Greater college and employer collaboration is not just about fees and income. It is also about ensuring that the needs of employers are understood and met so they are confident that learners are equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes. Likewise it is about giving learners the confidence that their education gives them prospects in the future economy and society. To achieve this, employers need to contribute more to course development so that the supply side is geared up to provide what they want, when they want and where.

"The role of the Sector Skills Councils is paramount. They provide an important new voice in identifying the skills that we need to drive up productivity across the UK sector by sector. I hope colleges take the opportunity to work with the Sector Skills Council, and the Regional Skills Partnerships to put in place a coherent skills offer for individuals and employers.

Clarke pledged that the Government would also contribute to further education reforms by reducing bureaucracy and delivering more freedom to the frontline to develop quality improvement.

"In response to sector reform we will reduce administrative costs and move money to frontline services. We will remove some of the weight of regulation and burdensome bureaucracy. This waste and inefficiency must change. The Bureaucracy Review Group under the Chairmanship of Sir Andrew Foster has already made a difference and we are determined to continue with these reforms."

"An important new development is the Department's intention to establish a new national strategic body to drive forward quality improvement in the sector. In designing the new body, we have worked closely with the Learning and Skills Development Agency, recognising that they already have significant expertise in quality improvement and partnership working. A progress report on the National Quality Improvement Body will be distributed to the sector and is available on The DfES website at www.dfes.co.uk/consultations. We will publish the outcomes of the consultation in the Spring. I then expect to move swiftly to put the new body in place by 2006."

The Education and Skills Secretary also announced the publication of Success for All: The Second Year. This reviews progress over the past 12 months and looks ahead to the opportunities and plans to provide business and funding solutions to attract additional money to the sector. The report also contains examples of how reforms to teaching and learning, improving choice and developing and workforce of the future are being implemented.

Success for All is the long-term reform programme launched by Government in 2002 which aims to transform the quality and responsiveness of the learning and skills sector in England. Responsibility for implementing the Success for All reforms lies with the Department for Education and Skills and the Learning and Skills Council, the body which supports post-16 education and training in England.

External link

The Success for All progress document is available at: www.successforall.gov.uk

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