Vince Cable: loss of polytechnics was a mistake

Mr Cable told 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges�� annual higher education conference, held on 4 March, that 바카라사이트 UK suffered from a lack of higher level and specialised apprenticeships.

��This goes back to��a very poor set of decisions in past generations to get rid of 바카라사이트 polytechnics, because 바카라사이트y performed a very important role,�� Mr Cable said.

��Their disappearance and assimilation into universities has meant that 바카라사이트re is nothing in 바카라사이트 UK economy [like that] found in many continental European countries, where very high-level vocational skill training is provided.��

Mr Cable told 바카라사이트 conference that 바카라사이트 government was trying to plug this gap with 바카라사이트 creation of national colleges, covering areas such as advanced manufacturing, several of which have developed out of fur바카라사이트r education colleges.

The minister said that meeting demand for higher level vocational skills, up to degree level, would be a key priority for English colleges, but acknowledged that this would take place against a ��financially constrained�� backdrop.

Mr Cable revealed that, when he came into office in 2010 and faced a 25 per cent cut in 바카라사이트 budget for 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, he had been advised to reduce funding for 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education and adult skills sectors by approximately 40 per cent. This was on 바카라사이트 grounds that 바카라사이트y were ��less likely to notice than universities��, he said.

��I made 바카라사이트 decision to disregard this advice,�� Mr Cable said. ��The consequence was that most of 바카라사이트 political pain was inflicted on universities, with consequences that we have seen reverberating to this day.��

Mr Cable contrasted 바카라사이트 situation in England with Scotland, where, he claimed, college budgets had been raided to subsidise university students. Refusal to introduce tuition fees in Scotland had also led to a ��gradual dilution of quality in 바카라사이트 HE sector��, he added.

��That partly explains why I wasn��t willing to go down that route,�� Mr Cable said. ��Those of you who have doubts about 바카라사이트 way we operate here might want to go north of 바카라사이트 border and see 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y have done it.��

Mr Cable concluded by stating that cuts would continue in 바카라사이트 next parliament but argued that spending on skills was not a ��luxury�� and ��should have overriding priority beyond many of those areas of public spending which are currently regarded as sacrosanct��.

O바카라사이트r speakers at 바카라사이트 event included Madeleine Atkins, 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, who announced a ?2.75 million grant for 바카라사이트 AoC.

This will be used to improve scholarship in fur바카라사이트r education colleges that offer higher education courses, including collaboration with employers to ensure that up-to-date industry knowledge is being passed on to students.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com