So, the annual conference season has come to an end. Aspects of further education have featured strongly in the debate – free school meals from the Lib Dems and ‘Earn or Learn’ from the Tories but on other aspects there has been a worrying silence. As the political world gears up for the next election, it is important to reflect on where the last few weeks really leave us.
The 157 Group has this week published its own manifesto for FE and skills, calling for a shared vision, more stability in policy and funding and greater equity across the provider spectrum. It seems clear from comparisons with other education and training systems that these three are prerequisites for success, and we trust that others across the sector will feel able to back our call.
There are signs that we might see a less turbulent environment. Conference discussions seem to reflect a growing consensus around some key policy themes – that traineeships and apprenticeships are the basis of successful vocational education, that direct funding of employers will engage more of them in the system and that English and maths are essential for everyone. There is some comfort to be taken in the implication that a bedding down of current reforms will be given space by all three main parties.
We would suggest, however, that there is something missing. We have long argued that Colleges play a pivotal role in the skills system, yet none of the emerging manifestos recognises that fact. We are clear that full time vocational education is valuable for many but it is largely ignored. We see the critical thing about employers as being to engage them on a strategic level and not bog them down in the detail of funding.
While Colleges are responding to policy initiatives with gusto – ensuring that UTCs, studio schools and the like are successful, serving as the engine rooms of employer ownership pilots and working hard to make a success of advanced learning loans this vital role – of the college as a valuable public asset – must be better acknowledged.
It is also revealing to look at what was not discussed during the season. There was no challenge from any corner to the school reform agenda, nor any dissent from the push to give LEPs more authority at local level. There were no hints of a rethink on FE loans, and no suspicion at all that any of the government architecture for our sector (the DfE/BIS split, for instance) will be reviewed.
So, given all of that, I see an opportunity. The opportunity is for Colleges to be more vocal about how they are leading the way. The 157 Group will continue to champion all Colleges for their strategic leadership within localities and their contribution to economic growth. We will continue to press for true equity in the way in which all providers of post-14 education and training are held accountable, and, indeed, for that system to be increasingly sector-driven and owned.
With all the major parties agreed on some key policy elements, Colleges will want to demonstrate their ability to lead the skills agenda by showing practically how to implement them. Headline-grabbing announcements, whether on free meals, loss of benefits or apprenticeships in exchange for foreign skilled workers are not what is critical - good working relationships with LEPs for example are.
The real hard work between now and the 2015 election starts here – it lies in us all continuing to develop a mature and trusting relationship with those in senior positions at Westminster, demonstrating our leadership capacity and our clear commitment to high quality and employer engagement and being willing to shout loudly about the unique role that further education plays in the future growth agenda for the country as a whole. There seems to be plenty of space in which to do it.