A problem of image

Further education's image problem as the "Cinderella sector" has been confirmed by research. An Ipsos-MORI survey of employers and education professionals commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council found that a third of employers, including those who had used the college system to train staff, had little understanding of the sector. One respondent said: "FE has improved a lot, but it is still not really perceived as being as good as universities. There's still a sense that the whole FE system is second division."