Notes from David- the thoughts of NCFE's Chief Executive


 

Dear Colleagues,


Following the budget announcement from the coalition Government, I believe there are grounds for optimism in the FE sector.

 

Plans to cut the nation's deficit by reducing public spending were announced by George Osborne as part of what's claimed to be Britain's biggest political shake-up in 200 years. The flexibilities for FE will provide the sector with opportunities to be dynamic and creative with learning solutions and partnerships.

 

Funding for schools and 16-19 education will remain the most protected.  £50m of capital investment will go into FE colleges, many of which are in need of this funding to upgrade their facilities.  £150m of extra funding is being given to support 50,000 new Apprenticeships at small to medium-sized companies.  This funding needs to be considered very carefully; it does create opportunity, however, they're serious implications as well.

 

This support for FE comes at a price for the HE sector, which has seen a dramatic dip in the number of places available at a time when demand has never been higher.

 

The recovering economy need for skills, this has been clearly reflected in the Government's announcement.  It's encouraging to see the new administration appreciating what we've been saying for years about the importance of a well-skilled workforce to a strong, sustainable economy.

 

However, whilst there is room for optimism, it's always worth erring on the side of caution until plans are firmly set in place.  The outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) in October will be very important for setting the direction of travel for future years funding.

 

The higher education sector has taken quite a blow since the last budget announcement back in March this year, with 10,000 fewer places expected to be available in UK universities instead of the 20,000 promised before the cuts.

 

That's why we need to take full advantage of the funding that will be available for colleges, so that we can train and retrain learners to provide them with qualifications that will lead onto long and prosperous careers and help contribute to getting Britain back on the right track.

 

At NCFE we've invested a great deal of time, effort and resources into developing a wide new suite of qualifications that appeal to a variety of learners.  It's important for the sector to remain accessible to all those who want to learn by offering qualifications in a variety of subjects that will help broaden people's knowledge, expand their horizons and ultimately aid the economy into a long awaited recovery.

 

The Research and Product Development (R&PD) team has been working hard to develop some fantastic new qualifications that fit this criteria.  Watch out for our upcoming Directory of Products and Services, which will have more details on these and will be available online from mid-August.

 

I hope you have a great summer and, on behalf of NCFE, I look forward to offering you many more exciting products and services for the next session.

 

Best wishes,

 

David Grailey

NCFE Chief Executive