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| Failing colleges face crackdown | Failing colleges face crackdown |
| (about 18 hours later) | |
| Underperforming colleges face a new tough intervention regime under plans outlined by the education secretary. | Underperforming colleges face a new tough intervention regime under plans outlined by the education secretary. |
| Announcing plans to shake up the further education sector, Alan Johnson told a conference of college leaders he intended to wipe out failure by 2008. | |
| Funding body, the Learning and Skills Council, will get powers to remove the heads of colleges deemed to be failing. | Funding body, the Learning and Skills Council, will get powers to remove the heads of colleges deemed to be failing. |
| The Further Education and Training Bill also gives colleges the power to award foundation degrees. | The Further Education and Training Bill also gives colleges the power to award foundation degrees. |
| Mr Johnson also challenged college leaders to develop plans for self regulation by next Spring. | Mr Johnson also challenged college leaders to develop plans for self regulation by next Spring. |
| 'Improvement notices' | 'Improvement notices' |
| He told the Association of Colleges annual conference in Birmingham: "Of course we will do all we can to help poor performers to improve, and the improvement notices will help but where continuous efforts fail, firm action must be taken. | He told the Association of Colleges annual conference in Birmingham: "Of course we will do all we can to help poor performers to improve, and the improvement notices will help but where continuous efforts fail, firm action must be taken. |
| "We must push for greater improvements among 'under-performers' and we must eliminate complete failure by 2008 at the latest." | "We must push for greater improvements among 'under-performers' and we must eliminate complete failure by 2008 at the latest." |
| He added: "The responsibility for improvement must rest primarily with FE institutions themselves - and one purpose of the legislation is to ensure that this happens." | He added: "The responsibility for improvement must rest primarily with FE institutions themselves - and one purpose of the legislation is to ensure that this happens." |
| But Mr Johnson also heaped praise on the further education sector's achievements saying many colleges were already getting "tremendous results". | But Mr Johnson also heaped praise on the further education sector's achievements saying many colleges were already getting "tremendous results". |
| "With participation rates, success rates and progression all up; the proportion of failing colleges and under-performers all down, and the proportion of employers and learners who say that they are 'very satisfied' with FE also increasing." | "With participation rates, success rates and progression all up; the proportion of failing colleges and under-performers all down, and the proportion of employers and learners who say that they are 'very satisfied' with FE also increasing." |
| Government needed to get out of the way of the best colleges and allow them to reach "greater heights" so that they might "spur on the rest", he added. | Government needed to get out of the way of the best colleges and allow them to reach "greater heights" so that they might "spur on the rest", he added. |
| Foundation degrees | Foundation degrees |
| The further education bill, which was promised in last week's Queen's Speech, also gives colleges the power to award foundation degrees. | The further education bill, which was promised in last week's Queen's Speech, also gives colleges the power to award foundation degrees. |
| This has been welcomed by the further education sector. | This has been welcomed by the further education sector. |
| Local colleges train more than 4m yearly. Some 727,000 16 to 18-year-olds choose to study in colleges compared with 439,000 in schools. | Local colleges train more than 4m yearly. Some 727,000 16 to 18-year-olds choose to study in colleges compared with 439,000 in schools. |
| And FE colleges award more than half of all vocational qualifications - more than half a million in 2003-4. | And FE colleges award more than half of all vocational qualifications - more than half a million in 2003-4. |
| AoC chief executive, Dr John Brennan said: "Colleges compete in an open market very successfully, as over 200,000 employers acorss the country will testify." | AoC chief executive, Dr John Brennan said: "Colleges compete in an open market very successfully, as over 200,000 employers acorss the country will testify." |
| 'Realism needed' | 'Realism needed' |
| He said there were ways in which colleges could improve but there needed to be some realism about the extent of improvement. | He said there were ways in which colleges could improve but there needed to be some realism about the extent of improvement. |
| Dr Brennan also welcomed the challenge for colleges to take charge of their own affairs in terms of self-regulation. | Dr Brennan also welcomed the challenge for colleges to take charge of their own affairs in terms of self-regulation. |
| The AoC argues enhanced external intervention powers are unnecessary in practice, can only undermine the autonomy of governing bodies and are legally fraught in employment terms. | The AoC argues enhanced external intervention powers are unnecessary in practice, can only undermine the autonomy of governing bodies and are legally fraught in employment terms. |
| Ioan Morgan, who heads the 157 group of larger colleges, welcomed the bill, adding: "trusting colleges to do more for themselves is pivotal to enable self-regulating colleges deliver on skills, community cohesion and economic development." | Ioan Morgan, who heads the 157 group of larger colleges, welcomed the bill, adding: "trusting colleges to do more for themselves is pivotal to enable self-regulating colleges deliver on skills, community cohesion and economic development." |
| 'Employability' | 'Employability' |
| The CBI said new measures were welcome but the government must go further. | The CBI said new measures were welcome but the government must go further. |
| Director-general John Cridland said: "Business will judge this bill on its delivery of the Foster Report's key message - that colleges' primary purpose should be to improve employability and supply economically valuable skills." | Director-general John Cridland said: "Business will judge this bill on its delivery of the Foster Report's key message - that colleges' primary purpose should be to improve employability and supply economically valuable skills." |
| The TUC said the CBI should stop playing the "blame game". | |
| Its deputy general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "For too long vocational education and training has played second fiddle to the academic route, and that has to change. | Its deputy general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "For too long vocational education and training has played second fiddle to the academic route, and that has to change. |
| "This bill could provide an opportunity to put FE colleges at the heart of a strategy to boost both economic performance and skills opportunities for working people." | "This bill could provide an opportunity to put FE colleges at the heart of a strategy to boost both economic performance and skills opportunities for working people." |
| He added: "Further education should be praised for attracting a growing number of businesses into training and for the nine out of 10 satisfaction ratings achieved." | He added: "Further education should be praised for attracting a growing number of businesses into training and for the nine out of 10 satisfaction ratings achieved." |