An Overdue Confidence Vote in Colleges
The government's new post-16 education and skills white paper places colleges at the forefront of the government's ambitions for the country.
This signals a real belief in Further Education (FE), with funding, new pathways, and a bigger role for colleges, marking a big, positive step forward after being grossly underfunded and overlooked for over a decade.
Being described as anchor institutions that deliver on economic growth, productivity, place-making and opening up opportunities everywhere for everyone
This belief in colleges is backed up with some of the investment needed to overcome the long-term neglect the sector has suffered, and sets a challenge to college leaders and the sector to step up and build on the great work being done already to reach more people, including employers.
Author's summary: Colleges are now at the forefront of the government's ambitions.
- Colleges are described as anchor institutions
- The government's white paper signals a real belief in FE
- Colleges have been underfunded and overlooked for over a decade