Blog: Funding cuts put colleges' futures at risk
Further education (FE) colleges are an essential cog in the education ‘machine’ in England.
As Principal of Weston College, you might say I’m biased.
But I’d argue that’s given me extensive, first-hand experience of how colleges help people of all ages and backgrounds make the most of their talents and ambitions.
You don’t need to look very far to see the impact Weston College is having on people across the region; from our successful traineeship programme to the thriving sixth form. We mustn’t forget the impact of apprenticeships, and pre-employment – who both support learners of varying ages and truly change lives.
And these are only the direct benefits. If you consider the role colleges play and the influence they have in the wider communities, it’s clear they are driving social mobility and boosting local and regional economies.
This week we welcomed Visit Somerset CEO John Turner to deliver a talk to stakeholders, and he shared how our students are making change happen and to quote John: “we have seen a direct impact on our economy through partnering with Weston College.”
What a fantastic reference, and how amazing are these learners performing to have such an impact! To put it bluntly, colleges matter – to their students, staff and local communities.
However, it’s no exaggeration to say their futures are in jeopardy due to the extensive and continued funding cuts affecting the sector.
For too long the vital work of colleges has been overlooked and underfunded.
The total college income in England has fallen by £1 billion since the start of the decade, which represents a funding cut of around 30%.
This drop in funding has led to:
- Fewer hours of teaching and support for young people
- Course closures
- A reduction in the number of learning opportunities for adults
- The value of staff pay falling by over 25% since 2009
- Job losses and recruitment problems
- College teachers earning £7,000 less on average than school teachers.
The situation is completely unsustainable and we need action now.
Fortunately that action is materialising in the form of the ‘Love our Colleges’ campaign, which is uniting the sector in pursuit of one overarching goal – appropriate funding of further education.
This includes:
- Increasing the 16-19 funding rate by 5% a year for the next five years, and extending the pupil premium to cover post-16 students
- Fully funding a National Retraining Scheme to support Level 3 to 5 skills
- Introducing a lifetime learning entitlement to fund skills training for all adults who have not previously achieved a level 3 qualification.
As well as making the case for extra government funding and fair pay in FE, ‘Love our Colleges’ is also highlighting the great work that goes on in colleges, and the brilliant staff that make it all possible.
Throughout the week we have shared stories for our learners and staff across social media and it makes me proud to read these daily quotes – we really are creating brighter futures.
If you are yet to see these quotes, I would suggest taking a look and see why we advocate fairer funding and love our college.
Dr Paul Phillips CBE,
Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College
