We were encouraged to see the recent Policy Exchange report that calls for the government to divert up to half a billion pounds from universities into Further Education. The report, entitled Higher, Further, Faster, More argues that universities are sitting on “significant funding reserves” and that too much public spending is dedicated to Higher Education, to the detriment of the Further Education sector.
The paper outlines the importance of further education and the need for “a diverse and thriving post-secondary education infrastructure” alongside our “world leading” higher education system. It argues that in order to meet its target of 3 million Apprenticeships by 2020, the government must ensure the further education sector is receiving adequate funds. The report proposes that universities should at least “partially fund themselves” due to their large income streams.
Universities are currently receiving £3.971 billion in funding allocated to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) on top of the money they receive from high tuition fees; currently universities can charge up to £9,000 per student, and there’s talk of ‘elite’ universities soon being able to charge whatever they like. Further education, on the other hand, is floundering on an Adult Skills Budget (ASB) which is constantly being decimated. Furthermore, the funding for higher education institutions has continued to increase, growing 26% since the 2009-10 academic year.
It’s clear that, as the report states, public funding is “skewed too much towards Higher Education to the detriment of Further Education.” This doesn’t accurately reflect the needs of the jobs market, as over half of university graduates are currently in roles unrelated to their degrees, while there are skills shortages in areas that require a technical or vocational qualification; by 2022, there are expected to be a further 3.6 million jobs available in occupations that require or accept vocational qualifications. Similarly, the UK will need 500,000 more technicians by 2022, another occupation typically achieved through vocational qualifications.
The report also argues for financial maintenance support for anyone who wants to undertake a further education qualification. The government announced earlier this year that it plans to remove maintenance grants for hard-up students, replacing them with loans. It’s yet to be seen whether financial support would be offered for students undertaking further education, with the removal of loan-free funding for university students.
At NCFE we know the benefits of vocational education. Learning is not one-size-fits-all and a vocational qualification is sometimes the most suitable option for learners. Not only this, but many in-demand job roles require vocational or technical qualifications. It’s clear that university may not make young people as employable as it once did, as many aren’t in jobs related to their degree.
Therefore, we fully support the proposal to route funding from university into Further Education. Not only do further education institutions like colleges and training providers not have the financial government backing that universities do, they also don’t have the same levels of income; as universities charge up to £9,000 for tuition fees, should they really receive billions in government funding at the expense of further education?
What are your thoughts on the proposal? Let us know by commenting below.
