Better FE/HE collaboration will improve educational outcomes

Although rich with opportunity, the UK’s tertiary education landscape is currently marked by competition and complexity, which at times can hinder collaboration between further education colleges (FECs) and higher education institutions (HEIs).

For example, many universities have expanded their offer of skills levels 4 and 5 – between A level and bachelor’s level, historically the domain of FECs – seeking to secure a pipeline of students for their undergraduate programmes. To maintain market share, therefore, many colleges have had to divert already scarce resources into marketing and away from delivering high-quality education.

The rapid growth of “Year Zero” programmes in universities, designed to prepare students for undergraduate study, has in some cases been detrimental to college recruitment, especially for Access to HE courses. But colleges have great expertise in supporting mature learners and part-time students to progress to degree-level study. And this often comes at a lower financial cost to the individual and the state.

Moreover, FECs serve a broad demographic and play a vital, place-based role in delivering higher-level skills to local and regional communities, as well as widening access and participation. Our close relationships with employers allow us to align our programmes with labour market needs, providing pathways into employment for both young people and adults with considerable agility and success.

This is why Universities UK’s recently published Blueprint for Change is right to emphasise the need for greater cross-sectoral collaboration. A more joined-up tertiary education system would have benefits for students, employers and the economy at large, with FECs and HEIs complementing each other’s strengths to address education and skills needs.

Many FECs are well positioned to deliver undergraduate qualifications either independently or in partnership, particularly in vocational and technical areas that are closely linked to employer needs. HEIs, meanwhile, have a much broader mission, including the delivery of high-quality undergraduate and postgraduate education, research and knowledge exchange. If we can develop localised collaborative agreements, especially around higher-level skills development, wasteful competition would decrease.

But to create a more collaborative landscape, funding should be more equitably distributed. For instance, the funding FECs receive for delivering higher-level skills training has to accommodate a diverse student population, most of whom come from widening participation backgrounds and face various social and economic challenges. Addressing those challenges requires extra institutional resource. Targeted investment in FECs would allow them to function on a more level playing field with other providers.

Equitable pay for teachers and lecturers in university- and college-based higher education would also ensure that FECs can attract the industry experts needed to train the next generation of skilled workers.

Consideration needs to be given to the level at which educational institutions collaborate. For example, should it be local, regional or national? Ultimately, this should be determined based on the skills needs that we are looking to address and the partners that need to be involved to achieve this. A truly collaborative tertiary system should be driven by regional and local skills needs. Ultimately, we need to ensure that the right training is being delivered at the right level by the right provider –whether that is an FEC, HEI, or Institute of Technology.

As well as meeting employers’ rapidly changing needs, flexible, modularised training and development delivered through colleges would provide a more accessible route to higher education than full-time study on university foundation courses (potentially in a different city) does for many students. Where necessary, these could be validated through partner HEIs or colleges with degree-awarding powers, but allowing colleges to validate their own level 4 and 5 qualifications, alongside establishing a streamlined credit transfer system, would simplify the progression route from FE to HE.

One successful example of HE/FE collaboration can be seen in the partnership between Loughborough College and Loughborough University. This allows the college to offer degree programmes validated by the university, providing students with clear career progression routes. The institutions work together to ensure that they are not competing for the same students, and they share facilities and resources to support their mutual goals.

After all, FECs and HEIs have a shared moral purpose: to improve lives through learning and training, widening participation and supporting social mobility. By working together more effectively, we can create better opportunities for people from all backgrounds to access high-quality education and progress to fulfilling careers.

Sam Parrett is group principal and CEO at London South East Colleges and chair of the Mixed Economy Group, where Nick Whitehouse is co-ordinator.