Listen to this story Members can listen to an AI-generated audio version of this article. 1.0x Audio narration uses an AI-generated voice. 0:00 0:00 Become a member to listen to this article Subscribe Further education has clearly embraced employer engagement. Colleges highlight partnerships, advisory boards and industry links as proof that provision is aligned with the current labour market. But if this system is working, why do many students still enter employment unprepared or struggle to find work? The scale of the issue is clear. The UK’s Employer Skills Survey in 2024 highlighted that 12 per cent of employers report skills gaps within their workforce, affecting around 1.26 million employees. At the same time, 27 per cent of vacancies are classified as skills-shortage vacancies, meaning employers struggle to find candidates with the right skills. This is not a marginal problem. It is structural. Employer engagement needs to become more embedded Colleges are not short of employer activity. Guest speakers, careers events and advisory panels are common. But too much of this engagement is episodic rather than embedded. A one-off workshop may inspire students, but it rarely reshapes curriculum design. Advisory boards do exist; however, their influence on day-to-day teaching is often limited. Engagement becomes something colleges showcase, rather than something that shapes learning. At the same time, employer investment is declining. UK employers now spend £53 billion on training, down £6 billion from 2022, continuing a longer-term trend. This raises an important question about how effectively the education system and labour market are working together to ensure learners leave with the right skills. Students succeed academically but struggle professionally Part of the problem lies in how programmes are designed. Many courses still prioritise academic structures over workplace realities. Students complete assignments, pass units and achieve qualifications. But academic success does not always mean learners are ready for employment. This gap is particularly visible in employability skills. Employers consistently highlight communication, teamwork and adaptability as critical. Yet these are rarely: • explicitly taught • formally assessed • systematically embedded across programmes As a result, students may achieve high grades but still lack the confidence or capability to operate effectively in a professional environment. The system measures the wrong outcomes FE is heavily driven by metrics. Achievement rates, retention and pass grades dominate performance frameworks. These indicators matter, but they do not tell us whether students are ready for employment. A student can complete a course successfully and still contribute to the skills gap. Meanwhile, the labour market continues to highlight ongoing challenges. Around 6 per cent of employers report skills-shortage vacancies, equating to approximately 250,500 vacancies that are hard to fill due to a lack of skills. This suggests the issue is not simply about participation or attainment. It is about alignment. From activity to impact Employer engagement may need to be rethought. First, it must be embedded into curriculum design, not just added on top. Employers should help shape not only what is taught, but how learners are assessed. Real-world tasks, live briefs and workplace simulations should form part of assessment. Second, employability skills need to be treated as core outcomes. If communication and professionalism matter, they should be explicitly taught, practised and assessed, not just assumed. Third, colleges need to rethink how success is measured. Progression into sustained employment, employer satisfaction and long-term outcomes should carry weight alongside qualification achievement. A gap the sector cannot ignore Further education plays a critical role in addressing the UK’s skills challenges. But current approaches to employer engagement are not yet delivering the transformation the system needs. We have built a model rich in activity but weaker in impact. Until employer engagement is fully embedded into how programmes are designed and delivered, the same pattern will continue: strong partnerships on paper, and students who are still not fully prepared for the workplace. That is a gap the sector can no longer afford to ignore.