Skills England should challenge the government over FE funding gaps and “excessive competition and poor alignment” between colleges and universities, a new report has said.
The Association of Colleges (AoC) and Universities UK (UUK) have today published a joint report called Delivering a joined-up post-16 skills system that calls for deeper collaboration between FE and HE. The document highlights opportunities for economic growth and “a more prosperous and fulfilling life” for learners.
Colleges and universities face a “highly marketised” environment, short-term and “disjointed” policy-making, and “funding pressures”, the report said.
AoC and UUK call for Skills England to be empowered to identify barriers and make “recommendations for action”.
The new executive body, which now reports to the Department for Work and Pensions, should highlight coordination issues such as “excessive competition and poor alignment” that drive inefficiencies in the system, according to the report.
It should also highlight financial issues such as when the cost of delivery has failed to keep up with available funding and “challenges” where employers are “impeding demand” from learners due to pay, conditions or progression opportunities.
Not our job, guv
However, it is unclear whether the remit of Skills England allows officials to express strong opinion about competition between colleges and universities, or whether it is able to stand up to the government to whom it answers.
When grilled about funding by MPs on the education committee earlier this year, bosses of the quango said that budget decisions were “up to ministers”.
In an interview with FE Week, the executive agency’s chair, Phil Smith, said he is “slightly neutral” on whether it lacks independence or strength and has not pushed for more powers.
Smith dismissed the idea that “putting more money” into FE will fix its problems, arguing that navigation of educational pathways through careers is a bigger problem.
Much of the solution is marketing, he added.
The goals of the quango are to identify skills gaps in the economy, use this insight to “improve provision”, and ensure people have “clear education and training pathways”.
Since its launch, Skills England has published two reports, covering skills needs in the government’s priority sectors and analysing expected demand over the next five years.
‘We can do more’
The report comes ahead of the government’s post-16 education and skills white paper, which is expected to set out a more “joined up” system that includes unified funding and regulation across both colleges and universities.
David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said colleges and universities have “common and complementary missions” to support people into higher levels of learning and act as “anchor institutions” in their communities.
He added: “Many already work together to help achieve those ambitions, but we believe more can be done to achieve even more.
Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, praised the report’s examples of collaboration that are “already happening”.
This includes Loughborough College’s and Loughborough University’s 30-year partnership over sports-related degree courses, which are delivered by the college and validated by the university.
It also cites London South Bank University Group as a success story, for merging a university, college and academy trust under one “group structure” that provides a “united academic framework” such as level 4 college courses which “guarantee entry” on to the second year of the university’s bachelor’s degree.
AoC and UUK have vowed to “take this challenge on ourselves” by forming a joint group of college and university leaders to demonstrate commitment to “delivering on the prime minister’s ambition” of two-thirds of our children either going to university or taking on a gold standard apprenticeship.
The group will focus on delivery of the white paper’s priorities, identifying opportunities to “deepen alignment” and exploring “stronger partnership working”.
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