FE White Paper

TRANSFORMING YOUNG LIVES AND DRIVING UP SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE

Further Education colleges are to be the engines of social and economic growth, providing young people and adults with the right skills to meet the demands of our economy. This new economic mission for colleges and the FE sector is the key theme of the Government’s new White Paper, Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances, published on 27 March 2006.

The White Paper includes the Government’s response to Sir Andrew Foster’s report on the future role of FE colleges, and represents a sweeping programme of reform for FE. It includes provisions to drive up the quality of teaching, to reward colleges for success and to make the sector more responsive to the skills needs of individuals and employers.

Headline reforms include:

• The introduction of free education for 19-25 year-olds studying for their first Level 3 qualification (two ‘A’ Levels or equivalent);

• New Adult Learning Grants to help students with living costs;

• A new £11 million programme to encourage the recruitment and development of the FE workforce of the future

• A new tougher approach to tackling poor quality

• Trials of a new learner accounts programme at Level 3

To see the press notice on the main DfES website, please click here.

To read Secretary of State Ruth Kelly's statement to the House of Commons, please click here.

For more information on the FE White Paper and to download the documents, please click here.

To read the consultation documents and to respond to the consultation online, please click here.