The 157 Group has welcomed the increased interest in vocational education, as signalled in major speeches made this week by the leader of the opposition, Ed Miliband MP; the shadow minister for skills, Liam Byrne MP; and by the skills minister, Matthew Hancock MP.
Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said, “All three speeches indicate there is a cross-party consensus on the importance of vocational education for building a sustained economic recovery, which is much more significant than the minor differences in their policy proposals. We share their common aims of increasing the number of individuals with higher-level technical skills and promoting apprenticeships, and are pleased at the recognition by all major parties that FE colleges are central to these ambitions.
“The proposal by the leader of the opposition to increase the numbers studying technical degrees is welcome, though we should not overlook the role that FE colleges are already playing in this regard. We support Labour’s decision to rule out the creation of a new binary divide by reinventing polytechnics, though it is not clear how this stance sits alongside earlier Labour proposals for a new range of elite colleges. We see the right way forward as enabling more people to access technical courses at existing universities, alongside part-time routes to higher technical study through local FE colleges.
“We support Labour’s proposals to devolve more influence over skills provision to local communities and are reassured by Liam Byrne’s explanation that such influence will not involve the creation of some 39 new funding agencies. Colleges are already working with local enterprise partnerships and local authorities to match their provision to local need, and are keen to strengthen such partnerships. We particularly welcome the shadow minister’s recognition of the need to support high-quality vocational courses in FE colleges alongside apprenticeships and academic study – the simple choice of university or apprenticeship denies the reality of the modern labour market. Reinvigorating FE is an obvious choice in financially stringent times."
Peter Roberts, chair of the 157 Group and chief executive of Leeds City College, said, “The suggestion from Labour that the funding arrangements for adult further education should more closely resemble those for 16 to 18-year-olds is helpful. We remain concerned, however, about the serious reduction in overall funding for adult FE, which will make it more difficult for individuals to gain the skills they need to progress at work and harder for employers to improve the productivity of their workforce."
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