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2013: A (Further Education) Policy Odyssey

Former House of Commons Education Select Committee specialist Ben Nicholls is head of policy and communications at London’s Newham College. He writes exclusively for FE Week every month.

A year ago, when I was appointed to Newham College, I didn’t know all that much about FE (it’s okay, I said so at my interview — they knew what they were letting themselves in for).

I wanted to work in FE because I’d always thought it did some of the most valuable work in the education sector, because of its spot-on focus on employment and skills and progression, and because I was fed up of seeing vocational study treated with less equity than its academic neighbour.

And I was excited at the prospect of a trailblazing job — the first in-house role in the sector focussing on policy and colleges’ involvement in its development.

If I had any fear about the role, it was that there might not be enough policy stuff to get my teeth into — could my job be the only one in the sector because there wasn’t enough to do? How quickly that fear disappeared.

FE colleges, and vocational education more broadly, still lack the attention they deserve and need, but we cannot complain, this year, of a deficiency of government consultations.

It doesn’t take a genius — much less a newbie to the sector — to recognise that 2014 will present a number of challenges to colleges, as some of the reforms become reality, and within an increasingly straitened climate

Within a week in post, I was grappling with Chartered Status, soon followed in rapid succession by the FE Guild (as then was), qualifications reform, accountability, the achievement of white working-class children, capital funding, the development of apprenticeships and traineeships,
Ofsted frameworks, and several more besides.

All this, of course, was as well as the debates, the events, the meetings with MPs, the working parties, the research projects, the cross-sector fora, the internal and external communications, the public relations, and — by far the most fun, of course — my monthly rants for FE Week.

What a year it has been. At the end of it, though, are we any clearer on the future direction of FE policy, and do we feel better engaged in its development?

Perhaps this is inevitable, but my answer to those questions is a resounding ‘yes’ and ‘yes’.

While we may not all have agreed with every word forthcoming from the government, the resultant picture of the future seems increasingly clear.

It is clear, not just from the follow-up to the Richard Review, but from the development of traineeships and from the personal focus of all three major party leaders, that apprenticeships are not just here to stay, but will change and grow in a number of ways.

If there is a danger here, it is that those for whom these pathways are not the right answer will feel compelled to pursue them — rather, indeed, as some might argue has happened with university degrees — but we are, perhaps, some way from that just yet.

Similarly, the government has been clear on which qualifications it values, and why, and how performance measurement will reflect that.

It has been clear on the principles it wishes to see applied to funding, particularly of apprenticeships, and it has been clear that it expects the sector to lead itself on matters of professionalisation and development.

Even if this is a cover story for cuts, autonomy should be welcome, and the appointment of David Russell as the Education and Training Foundation’s chief executive begins an interesting new chapter.

It doesn’t take a genius — much less a newbie to the sector — to recognise that 2014 will present a number of challenges to colleges, as some of the reforms become reality, and within an increasingly straitened climate.

At the same time, though, the next General Election will feel an awful lot closer the other side of New Year’s Eve, and we can hope that all three major parties decide to pursue bold, exciting policies.

More importantly, we can hope that they continue to develop those policies with reference to, or even better hand-in-hand with, the FE sector.

Hitting back at the level two ‘dead-end’ criticism

Claims last month that up to 50,000 teenagers were studying ‘dead-end’ level two courses were ‘superficial and sensational’ says Lynne Sedgmore.

The second Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) report in its Condition of Britain series, entitled Growing up and becoming an adult, makes a helpful contribution to our understanding of a complex issue — why too many of our young people have difficulty making the transition to adult life and what we might do about it.

It points to many factors including the weakening influence of the family in some parts of modern society and the negative effect of many aspects of contemporary culture.

Unfortunately, any positive impact from the analysis risks being vitiated by the superficial and sensational reporting of a so-called finding about vocational education — 50,000 youngsters on ‘dead end’ courses.

The figure of 50,000 appears to be derived simply from an extrapolation of the Neet (not in education, employment, or training) figures — the implication is that if young people become Neet the courses they followed were to blame.

The report then highlights the higher incidence of Neet among those who undertook courses at level two and below compared with A-level students — hardly a surprising finding, but underlining the accusation that the nature of level two provision is to blame.

Yet IPPR clearly knows what sort of young person finds themselves on a course at level two or below at the age of 16.

They are those who have not been served well by the education system to date; those who have a learning difficulty or come from a disadvantaged background.

They are young people who have been aimed at the lower end of the labour market since they started secondary school, or even since the age of seven as the Jesuits would have it.

The suggestion that the critical factor determining young people’s fate is the content of the courses they followed at the age of 16 is simply ludicrous.

The IPPR asserts that courses at level two and below have ‘limited teaching’ or ‘limited time in the classroom’.

It is not clear where the evidence for this comes from since it is not referenced in the report.

Moreover, it is contrary to the experience of most colleges and the figures recorded in the individualised learner record (ILR). An analysis for the Nuffield 14 to19 review by Fletcher & Stanton found that teaching hours on level three programmes were around 4 per cent greater than on level two, accounted for mainly by the fact that the most able students are sometimes encouraged to take on five A-levels or the equivalent.

The report asserts that it would be preferable if more students undertook apprenticeships.

This is probably true as long as it is not done by diluting apprenticeship quality; and it ducks the important question of what provision needs to be made for the large number of young people who will not be taken on by employers and for whom A-levels are not appropriate.

At the moment, vocational courses in colleges serve the great majority of them very well. Through the use of both work experience and realistic work environments they help induct young people into an occupational identity, provide useful occupational skills and motivate them to continue with more general education.

Such students can be found in training restaurants and college farms, running shops and salons, travel agencies and, in one case, a museum.

There is undoubtedly some weak provision at level two just as there is at level three and in all parts of education.

The casual denigration of level two vocational programmes in this report is however part of a pattern.

Lower level work in colleges is something that is not well understood by elite commentators, is low status and easy to stigmatise.

Such careless commentary is damaging, not least by inviting yet more tinkering and ‘transformation’ of a system that is not in any real sense broken.

These students and the colleges that serve them deserve better.

Lynne Sedgemore, executive director,
157 Group

Mark Brickley, principal, Kensington and Chelsea College

Despite passing the 11-plus, Mark Brickley says he wasn’t a particularly academic child.

For reasons neither he nor his 81-year-old father, Derek, can recall, he chose not go to grammar school.

So when he left school at 16, the year of the Falklands War “and when unemployment was through the roof,” he was keen to learn a skill or trade.

“That was in the time when only the brighter boys and girls tended to go to college, and university seemed even more out of my league,” says 47-year-old Brickley, now principal of Kensington and Chelsea College.

“I wanted to make sure I did something that would ensure I had a job for life.”

After an apprenticeship in carpentry and joinery, he set up his own specialist building company.

At 24, he decided he wanted a change of direction, but with a young family to support (he became a father at 19), retraining full-time just wasn’t an option.

Brickley enrolled in an evening class in computing at Eastbourne College, juggling his studies with work — and bringing up his young family — before becoming a web developer in the early 1990s, specialising in developing computer-based training in the science and medical fields.

“As a 24-year-old young man, and a young father, further education gave me an opportunity to change my life,” he says.

So when the opportunity arose to start working in the sector, he jumped at the chance.

After a three-year year stint working as an IT consultant at both the Association of Colleges and a number of UK colleges, Brickley was appointed vice-principal of Guildford College.

Richard Branson doesn’t have a degree in business and he seems to have done fairly well for himself

After nine “brilliant” years there, working under three different principals (including David Collins CBE, who was recently appointed FE commissioner), he recently took on the top job at troubled Kensington and Chelsea College.

Following the loss of a major training contract with a prison late last year, the college lost 60 per cent of its funding and Brickley’s job is to get things back on track.

His first twelve weeks in the job have been eventful. He’s already had to contend with a major flood and a visit from Ofsted (the result of which is due to be published in January). But he remains positive about the future.

“My job is to take the college forward, reposition it and work on our reputation and brand,” explains Brickley.

Mark Brickley with his family. Inset from left: Daughters Hannah, 23, Eleanor, 18, wife Juliette, daughter Sophie, 27, and Mark. Photo by Mark’s son Cameron, 15

“It [the college] has been through a pretty difficult year or two, and the staff here have really taught me a great lesson and that is that sheer will and desire can go a long way…I think it’s a fabulous place to work.”

The biggest challenge for the college — and for the sector as a whole, he says — is the “uncertainty and volatility” around funding.

“We’re all living with less and expected to deliver more and higher quality. And I don’t think there is a college principal in the land who won’t recognise those challenges.

“Here in London, there’s a perception that Kensington and Chelsea is awash with millionaires and oligarchs who have all this money. But the fact is that 99 per cent of my students come from poor and deprived areas and have significant social issues.”

Making sure young people have access to impartial careers advice and guidance is another priority, as is providing high quality vocational training — and not just apprenticeships.

He says: “Most employers I speak to tell me one thing — they want the training to be delivered quickly, they want it to be high impact and they want the outcome, for them, to be more productiveness and more profit. So it’s great that the government is investing in apprenticeships but we must remember that’s not necessarily what all employers want.”

While he is now running a billion pound organisation, Brickley says he still draws on his experience as a young man, running a small firm.

“I was always looking to provide meaningful business opportunities and my job here as chief executive is about helping to develop and grow Kensington and Chelsea College’s business,” he says.

“I learned very quickly that you have to engage people and you have to look after people’s fundamental beliefs.

“I also learned that to be respected, you have to lead from the very front, so you can demonstrate and deliver.”

But the dad-of-four admits he has experienced academic snobbery.

“I’ve had people say to me ‘How can you be doing this job when you don’t have a degree?’ But I believe you don’t have to be an academic to make your mark in this world,” says Brickley.

“Richard Branson doesn’t have a degree in business and he seems to have done fairly well for himself, hasn’t he?

“The world shouldn’t be about academic versus vocational. It’s just about people — different people for different times and different skills.

“I think that anyone who has the ability to study higher education is fantastic — two of my children have — but it’s not for everyone.”

For Brickley, who describes himself as a “frustrated artist” who would love nothing better than to retire to a beach bar in the Caribbean, “just sitting there with a piece of wood, carving it,” leading a college specialising in the creative arts is an added bonus.

He continues to be inspired by his father, now 81, who went from being a plasterer to a sales representative “making a transformation, in his own way at his own time into something everyone told him he couldn’t do”.

“I can’t believe the journey I am on now. When I was appointed here — I started in September — it was one of the proudest moments of my life,” he says.

“I’m sure that in 10 years’ time, when I am in my 50s, I will look back and go: ‘Wow, what a journey’.

Brickley’s ultimate aim is to get the college to outstanding status in less than five years and build on the reputation of the college, which has strong links with, among others, the Victoria & Albert, Science and National History Museums.

“I believe FE changes lives, I really do, and that’s what I’m always striving to do in this job,” he says.

“I’ve got this thing called the ‘toothbrush test’. It’s just me, as a human being, looking in the mirror twice a day, brushing saying ‘you’ve done a good job, you’ve worked hard today and fundamentally you’re a decent human being.’

“You only get one crack at this life, and if you can say that honestly, every day, you’ve done well.”

It’s a personal thing

What’s your favourite book?

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

What do you do to switch off from work?

Spend time with my family

What’s your pet hate?

People who are intolerant of others

What did you want to be when you were older?

I wanted to be in the Household Cavalry. I wanted to be one of the life guards in their beautiful tunics

If you could invite anyone to a dinner party, living or dead, who would it be?

Julius Caesar, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton and Russell Brand

Number of traineeship starts ‘disappointing’

Uptake on the government’s flagship traineeship scheme is failing to reach expectations, according to senior FE figures.

It is too soon for Ofsted to report on the quality of traineeships in any detail…

Skills Funding Agency boss Keith Smith (pictured) said colleges would deliver 57 per cent of projected 19 to 23 traineeships, while Ofsted FE and skills director Matthew Coffey (pictured right) described recruitment to the scheme as “disappointing”.

The pair’s comments about traineeships came during the Association of Colleges annual conference.

Mr Smith, the agency’s executive director for funding and programmes, told delegates that “colleges have indicated they will deliver around 57 per cent of projected 19 to 23 traineeship starts for 2013/14”.

However, the agency said Mr Smith had given out a figure that was “not official” and could not supply the numbers behind his claim.

An agency spokesperson said: “This indicative figure is based on discussions we have had with providers on what they intend to deliver.

“The first official data on traineeships is expected to be available in the Statistical First Release in January 2014.”

But Mr Coffey challenged colleges to increase the number of traineeships on offer. However, Ofsted too was unable to back his claim with figures.

He said: “The initial recruitment to traineeships is disappointing. In making the impact of vocational training a priority for us, we will work to increase the quality of provision — but we expect providers to engage with employers to increase the number of places available.”

An Ofsted spokesperson said: “It is too soon for Ofsted to report on the quality of traineeships in any detail as, so far, we have not come across as many as expected during our inspections of FE and skills providers.”

Traineeships, programmes including high quality work experience as well as literacy, numeracy and employability training, were launched in September, and are designed for young people who lack the skills and experience to be accepted into work or an apprenticeship.

Learners who spend more than 16 hours a week in lessons or the workplace as part of their traineeship programme are not eligible to claim job seeker’s allowance, which has previously prompted fears that young people will be discouraged from taking part.

The option to run traineeships is currently only available to providers with an Ofsted grade one or two inspection result, which the education watchdog spokesperson said might account for the lack of traineeships seen by inspectors.

“One of the reasons is because our risk-based approach to selecting providers for inspection, prioritises those previously judged to be grade three and four for overall effectiveness and so are not able to provide traineeships,” she said.

However, she added: “Having said that, what evidence we have does not suggest good recruitment levels.”

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) said the policy of restricting traineeships to grade one and two providers could be limiting numbers and called for a review.

An AELP spokesperson said: “There are many providers with a strong employer reach currently excluded from the programme.

“Given that work experience is such a critical element of traineeships, provider eligibility needs to be reviewed.”

Highlights from the AoC conference 2013

Download your free copy of the FE Week 16-page highlights from the AoC conference 2013 supplement, sponsored by NOCN.

Click here to download (16 mb)

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Introduction

It had policy announcements aplenty and quite a few speeches, not to mention tears as some worthy students were praised at a glitzy gala dinner — but the Association of Colleges Annual Conference 2013 is now just a memory.

The three-day event at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre, next door to the beautiful new city library (pictured on the front of this supplement), saw more than 1,000 delegates from colleges up and down the country.

A faithful taste of what they saw and heard follows, beginning with the speech of Skills Minister Matthew Hancock on page 4.

It is accompanied by the speech of association president Michele Sutton, who wanted to give Prime Minister David Cameron a nudge on the issue of careers guidance.

Ofsted’s FE and skills director Matthew Coffey was also at the conference and his speech is on page 5, along with that of Business Secretary Vince Cable, plus an overview from Shadow Skills Minister Liam Byrne of the issues from the panel debate he took part in.

Toni Pearce gave her first association conference speech as president of the National Union of Students and you’ll find that on page 6, next to extended coverage of Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt’s speech in which he made a number of policy announcements from his party’s Skills Taskforce.

The taskforce published its report, Transforming further education: A new mission to deliver excellence in technical education, on the same day as his speech and is featured next to Mr Hunt’s speech.

The glitzy gala dinner was the venue for the handing out of the association’s student of the year awards and also the
prizes for its student photography competition.

These awards are covered on pages 10 and 11, along with the full list of this year’s recipients of the Beacon awards.

Rebecca Cooney, FE Week reporter, got out and about on the last day of conference to speak with delegates and to find out what they thought about proceedings. Her vox-pop is on pages 12 and 13, where there is also coverage of a conference meeting between a delegation of officials from vocational colleges in China.

Pages 14 and 15 are given over to a round-up of the conference announcements and events from association chief executive Martin Doel. He spoke with FE Week editor Nick Linford during a webinar sponsored by Tribal.

College boards ‘dominated’ by white men

A survey is set to reveal the extent of “under-representation” of black and ethnic minority groups on college governing boards, FE Week can reveal.

The Association of Colleges (AoC) is due to publish its survey on the make-up of English college boards next Spring — but FE Week has seen the results.

And they depict a world dominated white, middle-aged men.

They show at least 81 per cent of governors were white British, 60 per cent were aged between 45 and 64, and 62 per cent were men.

The results of the AoC survey showed that just 7 per cent of governors were Indian, Pakistani, British Asian, black African or black Caribbean, while some respondents did not give details.

The 2011 Census of England and Wales showed 25.4 per cent of the population was from the 45 to 64 age group.

It also showed that 80 per cent were white British. Locally, figures for the white population range from 95.4 per cent in the South West to 59.8 per cent in London.

Mei Hui, spokesperson for racial equality group Olmec, said: “It is disappointing there is a low representation [on college boards] from ethnic communities.”

She called for a review into where colleges were advertising governor vacancies, adding: “The question is whether FE institutions are making good use of their ethnic minority networks in the local area.”

Rajinder Mann, chief executive of the Network for Black and Asian Professionals (NBAP), is set to lead an AoC Governors’ Council working group to recommend improvements.

She said: “The NBAP is not in favour of quotas, but we do support positive action to address under-representation as there is clear anecdotal evidence indicating that there is a paucity of BME [black and minority ethnic] governors.

“We want governing bodies to be representative of BME communities locally and nationally. There is a need for targeted intervention to attract, recruit, train and retain ABME [Asian, black, minority and ethnic] governors.

“In order to do this we need to have clear and transparent baseline data.”

It is further understood that just 17 per cent of college boards are chaired by women.

But, according to the 2011 Census, 50.9 per cent of the population was female.

Charlie Woodworth, from gender equality group the Fawcett Society, said: “News that the majority of governors are men sadly comes as no surprise.

“Enabling women to play a full role in public life — be it in the education sphere, politics or elsewhere — would be good for us all.”

The survey was requested by the AoC Governors’ Council and based on responses from 188 of 339 colleges across England.

Dr Sue Pember led a recent AoC review, called Creating Excellence in College Governance, into the role of college governors.

It highlighted the need for “baseline” figures to illustrate the diversity of college boards, but she rejected the re-introduction of representation quotas for ethnicity or gender, which were last used in the 1990s. Her report instead called on colleges to actively “refresh” their boards.

Speaking about the newest figures on behalf of the AoC, she said: “The ethnic make-up of governors is an area we all have to work on.

“I actually thought the figures for the number of women were better than expected. Now that we have a baseline, the next thing we want to look at is increasing the number of women chairs.”

She added: “It’s for the individual colleges to determine the right mix of governors for the communities they serve.”

Last-minute hopes to avoid college strikes

The University and College Union (UCU) said it was calling for eleventh-hour talks with the Association of Colleges (AoC) in a bid to call off strikes.

The union claims that “a series of below-inflation pay offers from the association since 2009 mean FE lecturers have seen their pay cut by more than 15 per cent in real terms”.

Nobody wants to take strike action and lose a day’s pay, but this year’s 0.7 per cent pay offer from the employers was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

And, following a pay offer of 0.7 per cent this year, the union balloted its members in FE colleges in England. More than two thirds of those who voted (71 per cent) backed strike action.

The union, which sought a 5 per cent deal, said its negotiators have offered to clear diaries for talks to avert strikes expected to take place on Tuesday, December 3.

Michael MacNeil, UCU head of bargaining, said: “College lecturers have seen their pay fall by 15 per cent in the past four years and fail to make up any ground against school teachers’ pay, despite increasing workloads.

“Nobody wants to take strike action and lose a day’s pay, but this year’s 0.7 per cent pay offer from the employers was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

The UCU strike vote came despite the AoC having reached agreement with Unison, AMiE, ATL, UNITE and GMB through the National Joint Forum.

The AoC declined to comment on the UCU’s call for last-minute talks.

However, when the strike plans were initially announced last month, Emma Mason, AoC director of employment policy and services, told FE Week: “We are disappointed that UCU members have voted to take strike action.”

She added: “The pay recommendation for 2013/14 is for a 0.7 per cent increase and £282 for staff earning £14,052 or less and increases the recommended minimum hourly rate to £7.45 in line with the UK Living Wage.”

Careers advice is heading towards cliff-edge, CBI warns

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that careers guidance is “heading towards a cliff edge”, joining sector-wide calls to ensure young people are aware of all their options.

The comments, from CBI director for employment and skills policy Neil Carberry, come after a survey of 2000 14 to 25-year-olds showed that only 26 per cent of them were given information on apprenticeships and only 17 per cent were advised on vocational qualifications.

Advice is scarce for young people not interested in being funnelled towards A-levels and university and exciting, potential life-changing career alternatives are being lost.

Mr Carberry said: “Careers guidance in England’s schools is heading towards a cliff-edge.

“Advice is scarce for young people not interested in being funnelled towards A-levels and university and exciting, potential life-changing career alternatives are being lost.”
He added: “There is a worrying shortage of skills in some of our key industries and if we don’t give young people the information they need to find apprenticeships or sign up to high-quality vocational training, this will only get worse.”

The warning coincided with a report published by the Skills Commission — a body administered by cross-party think-tank Policy Connect — calling for action on a career advice “crisis”.

The report, One System, Many Pathways, is the result of a cross-party inquiry chaired by Sir Mike Tomlinson, former chief inspector of schools, and Ian Ferguson, chairman of trustees at Metaswitch.

It said: “The Department for Education [DfE] must immediately acknowledge the crisis in information, advice, and guidance, and undertake a full review of provision.”
It added: “Teachers are not trained to offer employment advice, and cannot be expected to understand what all careers entail, or even recognise how a particular aptitude might translate into a perfect career option.”

Since April 2012, schools, rather than local authorities have been responsible for providing information, advice, and guidance on future careers.

But, the report said: “As the recent Ofsted report made clear, this is not yet working, and government must intervene before more learners leave this transition phase with scant clear knowledge from their educational provider about how their skills might translate into worthwhile employment.”

Meanwhile, the Association of Colleges has its own Careers Advice: Guaranteed campaign calling for increased access to advice through Jobcentre Plus and local authorities, accountability through Ofsted and investment from the DfE.

At the association’s annual conference last month, association president Michele Sutton said: “Wherever I go, whoever I speak to, principals across the country all agree that the quality of impartial advice and guidance is nothing less than appalling.”

Baker defends UTC under-recruitment

Former Education Secretary Lord Baker has defended University Technical College (UTCs) after it was revealed that some were running at less than a third of capacity.

He said figures showing the 150-pupil Central Bedfordshire UTC was just 30 per cent full for the last academic year, while the 480-pupil Black Country UTC, near Birmingham, was 36 per cent full, would improve.

The Central Bedfordshire UTC opened its doors last year and the Black Country UTC — so far the only one inspected by Ofsted, which gave it a grade three rating — started the year before.

What happens is that head teachers of state schools are allocated pupils by the local authority, but we have to go out and get our pupils with marketing.

A further three were open for the start of 2012/13 and they saw greater percentage headcounts, but the combined figure for all five was still only 55 per cent (795 pupils).

Lord Baker, who is chair of the UTC brand and last month revealed plans for similar 14+ vocational institutions with Career Colleges, told FE Week: “Figures will be a lot higher than 30 or 36 per cent and will be rising, but you can’t possibly put an exact number on it.

“What happens is that head teachers of state schools are allocated pupils by the local authority, but we have to go out and get our pupils with marketing.

“We’ve increased our marketing skills and I’ve met a number of new UTC principals and we’ve been talking about what they’ve got to be doing.

“There is one opening in Warwick next year and it had an opening evening the other night and 700 people turned up, so the news is getting around.”

Sue Clark, governors’ chair at Central Bedfordshire UTC, said: “This is a very new UTC and it is going to take a little while to build our numbers, particularly as pupils and their families need to adjust to the idea of a non-standard transfer age at 14.

“Pupils at our UTC are very positive about the decision they have made to join us, and I expect us to increase our numbers successfully as we become more established.
“The concept of the UTC with its close employer engagement is a very exciting proposition.”

A Black Country UTC spokesperson said: “Recruitment was always expected to be slower in the first few years while a platform is built and the success stories of our students allows others to see what can be achieved in this unique learning environment.

“Establishing a new institution with no story to tell, no precedent and no history of a transfer aged 14 was always going to be challenging. However, the Black Country UTC and Walsall College, our lead sponsors, are firmly committed to the concept and its aims.”

He added: “The grades, apprenticeships and jobs achieved since opening in 2011 clearly show that a specialist institution such as this can deliver significant benefits for students in our region and the Black Country UTC remains tied into Walsall College’s wider strategic growth for engineering.”

The capacity figures were revealed in answer to a parliamentary question. They showed the 180-pupil Aston University Engineering Academy, in Birmingham, was 76 per cent full, the 100-pupil Hackney University Technical College was at 77 per cent and the 540-pupil JCB Academy, in Uttoxeter, was 66 per cent full.

Outline approval has been given to 26 more UTCs to open in 2014 or 2015, in addition to the 12 that opened at the start of the current academic year, including Liverpool Life Sciences UTC, Royal Greenwich University Technical College and Elstree University Technical College.

“What the capacity figures haven’t reflected is that of the 12 that opened this year for example, at Greenwich we had 300 students start and in Liverpool Life Sciences 200 started, and there’s going to be 400 next year, and Elstree opened with 350 students,” said Lord Baker.

The Department for Education declined to comment.

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Editorial

Back off, Baker

Despite a robust defence from Lord Baker, his UTC project appears to be in trouble.

With so much invested in new buildings, facilities and staff you would have expected the first UTCs to have had an early halo effect, with full classrooms and long waiting lists amid a clamor for limited places.

But no, we find the five UTCs were running at just 57 per cent capacity last year.

As the halo effect fades, and colleges begin competing for the same 14 to 16-year-old learners, the project is at risk of losing hard-won government support.

So, unless the pause button on UTCs is pressed, Baker could legitimately be accused of presiding over a vanity project.

I am sure his intentions are good, but before any more public money is spend on new UTCs it seems reasonable to ask for more evidence of success.

Not just in terms of higher recruitment levels, but also evidence from Ofsted that they deliver a positive learner experience.

So in the meantime, 14 to 16 year-old resources would be better spent on large, well-established and successful FE colleges.

Their time has come, the argument over direct recruitment at 14 has been won — and it’s time for Baker to back off.

Nick Linford