Further education colleges "a real concern"

London – The standard of training provided by further education colleges in the UK is well below the standard needed to meet the country’s growing skills requirements, Sir Michael Wilshaw, the UK’s chief inspector of education, children’s services and skills, has warned.

In his first annual report, Wilshaw said that 35% of UK learning and skills colleges are now less than good compared to 30% at the end of 2010.

Moreover, Ofsted this year judged 13 colleges (serving over 82,000 learners) to be inadequate compared with four colleges last year, while, for the second year running, No college was judged to be outstanding for teaching and learning.

“The further education sector is a real concern for me at a time when the nation needs skilled and qualified people entering the workforce more than ever before.,” said Wilshaw. “It is vital that the sector responds with high quality provision designed to tackle the urgent issue of youth unemployment.

“The Government now needs to shine as much of a spotlight on this sector as it has done on schools. Schools have seen their increased freedoms balanced by a strong accountability system and action on failure. The same should be true for colleges.”

The report adds to the findings of the government-commissioned Richard Review of Apprenticeships, which among many issues, highlighted how some training providers tend to deliver frameworks that are “easy to deliver”, profitable and can attract large numbers, rather than delivering what industry wants or needs.

The review includes suggestions that training providers be regularly rated by employers for their ability to work with employers and trade bodies to provide appropriate training solutions. Those that continue to fail should not be allowed to continue as providers of apprenticeship training.