The 157 Group, in partnership with law firm Eversheds LLP, has published a survey of freedom and flexibility in the skills landscape.
Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said, “With just 10 days to go before voting in the general election, it is important that all those with an interest in the future of further education are able to make a balanced and rounded assessment of what each of the main parties has to offer for the next five years. That assessment must also be informed by an honest evaluation of where policy change over the last parliament has left us.
“Freedom and flexibility have been two of the buzzwords of the last five years and, in this publication, we aim to provide an overview of what that has meant – for institutions, for communities and, most importantly, for employers and students. Working with our colleagues at Eversheds, we have interviewed several important stakeholders from the business and trade union communities, whose views (as well as those of our members) we reflect in this publication.
“We also draw on the party manifestos and the words of the business secretary Vince Cable, who very helpfully took the time to outline his views on what the last government’s achievements were, and what remains to be tackled in the next parliament. We are grateful to Dr Cable and all those who were interviewed for helping us put together a survey that, we believe, pulls together in a coherent way many different strands of policy.”
Sarah Robinson OBE, chair of the 157 Group and chief executive of Stoke on Trent College, said, “This thinkpiece offers a high-level commentary on the skills landscape in April 2015, with particular reference to colleges. We make some broad recommendations for the direction in which we hope policy will head after the votes are cast next week.
“In particular, we build upon the principles articulated in Our manifesto for FE and skills: that future policy should be guided, wherever possible, by stable structures, equal treatment, the freedom to innovate and durable funding. Our analysis, published today, indicates that, while our skills system is undoubtedly more ‘free’ than it was five years ago, there is still a long way to go in matching the reality of policy with the rhetoric of politicians.
“We hope that this report will give all of us working in further education food for thought as we weigh up the options being presented to us, and also set out a working agenda for us to build upon with whoever forms the next government.”
Please click here to download the publication.