Better recognition and support of HE in FE offers immense rewards

The UK’s further education colleges have long been at the forefront of delivering high-quality vocational education. Our expertise in sectors such as construction, engineering and health helps students develop the technical skills demanded by the local employers that offer excellent careers.

But addressing the skills gap can’t just be about qualifications at level 2 and 3 (the equivalents of higher GCSE and A level). Local students and employers also need access to higher-level skills, such as those at level 4 (higher apprenticeship/higher national certificate) and level 5 (foundation degree/higher national diploma). And FE colleges are uniquely positioned to deliver these successfully, too.

Indeed, this is already happening. More than 110,000 people studied for HE qualifications in an FE college last year. FE delivered over 80 per cent of HNCs and 63 per cent of foundation degrees.

The college I run connects its higher technical qualifications (HTQs) with the local job market in a systematic way by aligning our offer with our region’s local skills improvement plan, covering construction, engineering, health and digital. Moreover, colleges like ours can offer flexible and responsive programmes to meet industry’s ever-evolving needs in a way that traditional universities cannot. Modular units and microcredentials are increasingly being developed to quickly meet employers’ bespoke requirements – bypassing the much longer validation processes required for university courses.

Widening participation is also very much at the heart of this. For many students, a familiar environment close to home makes the transition to HE far more accessible, both financially and socially. This also helps retain talent within the local area, which is a critical factor for many employers in terms of their ability both to deliver their services and to meet their corporate social responsibility goals.

Upskilling a local workforce has other benefits, too, such as increased staff retention, reduced absenteeism, a smaller carbon footprint (through less commuting) and a more diverse skillset across the business. But despite this very clear rationale for an FE college like ours to step into the HE landscape, it can be challenging.

One challenge is financial. Extra resources are potentially needed for specialist equipment and to separate “HE” areas away from 16-18-year-olds. Moreover, employing highly skilled staff capable of delivering higher-level qualifications is expensive, and this burden is amplified by the fact that FE colleges already operate on tighter budgets than universities do. The Institute for Fiscal Studies calculates that the average pay for staff in universities is £40,716, compared with £34,500 in colleges. This significant disparity causes recruitment barriers across the FE sector.

While initiatives like England’s Skills Injection Fund have helped address funding gaps for facilities and equipment, far more sustained investment and policy support are needed to make HE provision in colleges more viable in the long term. For example, there must be greater flexibility in how the apprenticeship levy can be used. Employers should be allowed to use this to upskill their staff with HTQs.

Another major difficulty that must be overcome is the persistent misconception that FE colleges are solely for 16-18-year-old vocational learners and the lack of awareness of our higher-level courses, which affects their take-up.

To address this, there also needs to be a concerted effort to raise awareness of HTQs among both employers and learners. While HNCs and HNDs are well understood, the wider HTQ offer and the benefits these qualifications can bring to learners and business remain less well known.

HTQs are flagship qualifications, designed to address skills shortages in critical sectors, and they will present solutions for the government’s policy drives in health, net zero, housebuilding and digital. But greater awareness of them is needed across the government itself, as well as the education sector. Employer incentives could also play a pivotal role in changing perceptions, yet marketing campaigns require time and money, both of which are in short supply universally.

The third challenge is student progression. Delivering HNQs does not require FE colleges to enter formal partnerships with universities since the qualifications are accredited by the awarding organisations, such as Pearson. Nevertheless, improved collaboration with universities is essential to boost student progression. While great strides have been made in developing progression agreements from level 3 to level 6 (honours degrees), similar pathways must be established for progression from level 3 to university-delivered courses at levels 4 and 5.

By working together, FE colleges and universities can create a seamless skills pipeline that benefits everyone involved – rather than working in competition. FE has the expertise to deliver exceptional vocational programmes at all levels, while higher education institutions have the necessary experience of the wider higher-level education landscape.

So while expanding HE provision in FE colleges isn’t without its challenges, better recognition and support – from both policymakers and the wider community – offer immense potential rewards. More accessible pathways to higher-level skills will better support local learners, meet employer needs and drive economic growth.

David Warnes is CEO of Chelmsford College.