Commission Launches a New Report on the College of the Future

Now we have set out our vision for colleges, we are consulting with the education and skills sector, employers and beyond to build a roadmap for how to achieve it, with recommendations for each of the four nations. The vision we set out today has the potential to transform lives and communities, increase productivity and innovation and crucially give the country the best possible chance of thriving in ten years’ time. In each of the four nations we have an opportunity to unlock and invest in the potential of colleges. This builds on a vast array of work across the four nations. We have a real opportunity to build on where it works and to learn together. This is vital if we are to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and to face longer-term challenges that will remain long after the pandemic has passed. Now we have set out our vision for colleges, we are consulting with the education and skills sector, employers and beyond to build a roadmap for how to achieve it, with recommendations for each of the four nations

Colleges make an incredibly significant contribution to the Scottish economy. But to realise the full benefits of this, as Paul Little and I were clear in our joint report earlier this year, we need to develop a coherent tertiary systems approach, which is agile, collaborative, inclusive. As the Scottish Funding Council reviews the tertiary system, the vision the Commission launches today affirms this broader strategic mission for colleges as part of a collaborative system – with a central role in lifetime learning and high-quality strategic support for employers.

For too long colleges in England have not had the recognition and investment that they deserve – representing a tremendous lost potential. The UK Government’s FE White Paper for England presents a critical opportunity for boldly affirming the role and mission of colleges, alongside universities, to meet the education, skills and training needs of everyone throughout their lives. The vision we launch today marks a moment when our sector is saying that, with investment and reform, we can together deliver more for people, productivity and place.

Colleges play a vital role in solving fundamental problems related to social mobility and productivity in Northern Ireland. We have made great progress in strengthening our skills system and meeting the needs of employers. As a Commission we have drawn a great deal from the real strengths of the system here, including through curriculum hubs and the central role Northern Ireland’s colleges play in innovation. The ongoing development of a new skills strategy will be enhanced by ensuring we speak to the role of colleges for people, productivity and place.

Colleges are the solution to addressing so many of the skills and broader challenges we face at present, and with effective leadership they have the potential to play an even greater future role. In Wales we need to grasp the opportunity and play our part alongside schools, universities and other training providers in moving towards a bold post compulsory education and training sector, building on the fantastic work our colleges already do for public good and to support prosperity. This vision has an important part to play in shaping and contributing to the future skills system in Wales.

During this pandemic our colleges have continued to serve the needs of their students and have provided essential support to the wider community. I was pleased to have met with the Independent Commission last year, and to see them continuing to think creatively in a four nations way. I look forward to receiving the commission’s final report which I am sure will confirm how our colleges can continue to play a pivotal role in our education system, serving learners of all ages, utilising digital technology and the importance of the role they play within their community.

The vision set out by the Commission is a clarion call for all of us to work together to ensure that every person, place and employer has the college they need. It’s a huge step towards giving colleges the long-term position and funding they need to deliver their best. As the country emerges from the pandemic and people consider their futures, the vision sets out the vital role colleges will play in our labour market, economy and communities. Every young person and adult should be able to look to their college for the education, skills and support to find work they need. Working with businesses, universities and others will be key components as discussion turns towards the white paper in the autumn.

We welcome the vision statement from the Independent Commission on the College of the Future and we couldn’t agree more that colleges have a vital role to play in our communities and in our economy. Through our role in the WorldSkills global network we know that other countries already get this and are using technical education to innovate, drive up productivity and deliver industrial strategies, so we need to catch up and using international benchmarking to inform what we do must be part of the solution. WorldSkills UK’s new Centre of Excellence in partnership with NCFE can help by bringing global best practice back to the UK and embedding the highest standards of teaching, learning and assessment into the grassroots of colleges, in communities throughout the UK, helping those colleges deliver for people, productivity and place. We look forward to sharing our insights with the Independent Commission as they prepare their final report.

The Climate Commission welcomes the report today from the Independent Commission on the College of the Future. The new vision for colleges puts sustainability and climate action at the very heart of the role of colleges, ensuring that colleges provide future fit students with the education and skills they need to tackle the climate crisis. The Climate Action Roadmap for Further Education Colleges, from the Climate Commission, provides colleges with the framework to help them achieve this.