Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Colleges Week

29 February 2024 · 3 other contributors · 8,687 words

Opened by Peter Aldous Con Waveney

Responding minister: Damian Hinds

Education

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Peter Aldous raised concerns about colleges week in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Colleges play a vital role in education and local regeneration but face challenges such as revenue funding shortages and structural issues.
  • The Local Government Association notes the national employment and skills system is too centralised, short-term in outlook, and lacks coordination.
  • EngineeringUK highlights variability and quality issues in training provision across sectors, particularly in engineering.

Key requests to Government

The Government should invest additional money from the immigration skills charge to address urgent priorities identified by employers through local skills improvement plans. Close the pay gap between college and school teachers, amend VAT Act 1994 for colleges to reclaim VAT, extend funding for tuition support to help students catch up on missed education due to COVID-19.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Peter Aldous Con Waveney

Colleges play a vital role in education and local regeneration but face challenges such as revenue funding shortages, structural issues, and the impact of the cost of living crisis. The Local Government Association notes that the national employment and skills system is too centralised, short-term in outlook, and lacks coordination. There are significant skill gaps across sectors, particularly in engineering, with EngineeringUK highlighting variability and quality issues in training provision. The Edge Foundation points out worsening skills shortages which impose costs on businesses and the economy.

Other contributors (3)
  • Andrew Jones Con Harrogate and Knaresborough

    Mr. Andrew Jones highlighted the critical role of colleges in providing skills for the economy, mentioning that over 1.6 million students are educated at colleges in England annually. He emphasised the importance of links between colleges and local employers to meet future skill demands and praised recent initiatives like the inclusion of apprenticeships on UCAS. Mr. Jones also celebrated a £20 million development project at Harrogate College, funded by the Department for Education's further education capital transformation fund, which will replace the main building with state-of-the-art facilities focusing on renewable energy skills.

  • Robin Walker Con Worcester

    The Member praised the Heart of Worcestershire College and Worcester Sixth Form College for their work, highlighted the importance of comparing like with like in apprenticeships, and commended the Education Committee's report on post-16 qualifications. He acknowledged the challenges mentioned by the Labour representative regarding apprenticeship completion rates and funding cuts.

  • Seema Malhotra Lab Co-op Feltham and Heston

    Praised the importance of further education and acknowledged the work done by colleges across the country, highlighting their role in meeting local skills needs. She also noted the decline in apprenticeship starts since 2017 and called for improved engagement with small and medium-sized enterprises. The Member challenged the Minister on the fall in apprenticeships starts, highlighting employer fatigue due to difficulties with the current system. She argued that Labour's proposed reform would not significantly change how most employers use their levy but could make a difference for those returning unspent funds to the Treasury. The speaker thanked the Minister but expressed concern that he does not fully understand Labour's policy on the growth and skills levy. She pointed out that this opportunity to spend more on modular courses and flexible learning could reduce early ending of apprenticeships, where completion targets are not being met.

Government Response

Damian Hinds

The Minister for Schools highlighted the government's support for FE colleges through significant funding increases, including an additional £3.8 billion over this Parliament for post-16 education and a capital investment of £3 billion between 2022 and 2025 to improve facilities and deliver new places in post-16 education. He also mentioned reforms to simplify the further education funding and accountability systems, and commitments to invest £470 million over two years to support recruitment and retention of staff.

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