Member Article

Skills strategy to intervene in failing colleges

Good colleges will receive more support, and underperforming ones will face earlier interventions, under the Government’s new £214m skills strategy.

The ‘Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills’ plan will introduce a new FE Commissioner who will intervene if colleges face performance or financial difficulties.

Launching the strategy, Skills Minister, Matthew Hancock, said: “Where colleges are failing learners we will be knocking on their doors and take swift and effective action. It is a dereliction of duty to let failing colleges teach young people. We will not fail in our duty to act.

“All providers should meet tough standards of rigour and responsiveness. Through these reforms we will be able to intervene without hesitation where they fall short.”

£77 million of new capital funding will be matched with £137 million investment from colleges and has been targeted at those colleges in the greatest need of help and those that can support growth in the economy. The funding will be allocated through the Skills Funding Agency.

Chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency, Kim Thorneywork, said: “Through managing the application process, we saw some very exciting, creative and competitive bids for the Enhanced Renewal Grant this year.

“These 47 colleges will now be able to bring their proposals to life and help enhance the career and employment opportunities for individuals, as well as the communities the colleges serve.”

Neil Carberry, CBI director for employment and skills policy, said: “The UK needs a skills system that will properly equip our workforce to compete globally and support long-term growth. The Government’s skills strategy identifies that this requires a demand-led system, with businesses squarely in the driving seat.

“The challenge now is to successfully hand over control to employers to refocus training on industry needs and getting people into jobs and good careers - this will require a shake-up of the funding system.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .