Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life ChancesThis Education White Paper sets out the Government's programme of reform for the further education system, focusing on the economic mission of the sector to raise the skills level of young people and adults to achieve productive sustainable employment in a modern competitive economy. Following on from recent secondary school reforms, the FE policy measures include: i) new incentives for colleges to develop one or more areas of special excellence, with a new higher standard of accreditation (under the programme of Centres of Vocational Excellence or CoVEs), a more direct role for employers and an extension of the National Skills Academies (NSAs) programme; ii) a trial programme of learner accounts and a new entitlement to free training and education for the under-25s to gain level 3 qualifications, with the continued roll-out of the Adult Learning Grant to help with maintenance costs for those on low incomes; iii) the creation of a single Quality Improvement Agency to oversee a new national strategy to raise the quality of FE provision and promote continuing professional development of teaching staff; iv) improvement notices to be issued to colleges judged to be failing requiring the problems to be addressed within a year; and v) a simplified system for planning and funding provision designed to reduce regulatory bureaucracy at all levels, with an enhanced strategic role for the Learning and Skills Council at the regional level, new opportunities for innovative providers to enter the sector with new competitive arrangements and open advertising, and funding geared towards demand, particularly through the Train to Gain programme. |
Contents
Foreword | |
Introduction 14 | |
A specialised system focused on employability 20 | |
A system meeting the needs of learners | |
A national strategy for teaching and learning | |
A framework which spreads success and eliminates | |
Funding which supports our objectives 65 | |
A new relationship with colleges and providers 76 | |
Impact and outcomes 88 | |
Common terms and phrases
achieve Adult Learning Inspectorate agenda for change Apprenticeships areas assessment balanced scorecard capital Centre for Excellence choice collaboration college or provider colleges and providers colleges and training competitions contribution core economic COVES deliver delivery develop DfES diversity drive economy education and training effective employability employers and learners employment enable ensure entitlement FE colleges FE system focus Foster report Foundation Degrees framework full Level funding system GCSEs governing body HEFCE high quality implement institutions leadership learners and employers Learning and Skills Level 3 qualification LSC's mission networks Ofsted opportunities organisations partners partnership planning priorities programmes progression quality improvement Quality Improvement Agency recognise reform responsibilities role schools Sir Andrew Foster Sixth Form Colleges specialised Diplomas specialist schools SSCs staff standards strategy success tackle targets teaching and learning Train to Gain training providers vocational White Paper workforce year-olds young