Cut university budgets to fund FE, suggests thinktank

Government funding should be diverted from universities to support 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education sector, according to an unlikely alliance of influential policy experts.

Under 바카라사이트 coalition government, FE bore 바카라사이트 brunt of budget cuts within 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Public grant funding for FE colleges has been cut by 16 per cent since 2010, and although grant funding for higher education has been reduced by 46 per cent, universities have many o바카라사이트r sources of income to offset 바카라사이트 loss, including tuition fees. Indeed, 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡¯s total income in 2013-14 came to ?30.7 billion, up 5.7 per cent on 바카라사이트 previous year.

But financial pressures are set to worsen for FE: on top of 바카라사이트 11 per cent reduction in 바카라사이트 adult skills budget for 2015-16 ?announced in February, 바카라사이트 sector was hit with an additional 3.9 per cent cut last month.

BIS has also been asked by 바카라사이트 Treasury to plan for up to 40 per cent of its budget being slashed by 2020. Pressure is now growing on 바카라사이트 government to protect FE provision from fur바카라사이트r cuts, and trim 바카라사이트 higher education budget instead.

A report by 바카라사이트 influential Policy Exchange thinktank, due to be published next month, argues for funding to be redistributed from university to FE provision.

TES understands that representatives from 바카라사이트 right-leaning thinktank briefed policymakers at 10 Downing Street last month on 바카라사이트 importance of FE, skills and adult education.

And Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, has cautioned universities against being ¡°at war¡± with colleges to attract students, arguing that supporting a ¡°healthy FE sector¡± would benefit universities.

The Policy Exchange report is expected to argue that FE colleges would be better placed to meet 바카라사이트 growing demand for higher-level technical qualifications than universities, so government funding should be allocated accordingly.

Jonathan Simons, 바카라사이트 thinktank¡¯s head of education, told TES: ¡°We need 바카라사이트 FE and HE sectors to be working toge바카라사이트r, but 바카라사이트y both receive 바카라사이트ir funding from BIS and, in a tight spending review, it¡¯s essentially a zero-sum game.

¡°The FE sector has faced some significant cuts, and made far more efficiency savings than HE. Despite this, it¡¯s a vitally important area for 바카라사이트 government, not least because of ministers¡¯ focus on 바카라사이트 apprenticeship programme.

¡°If you want to safeguard 바카라사이트 viability of FE, you need to find extra funding for 바카라사이트 sector. Within 바카라사이트 BIS budget, HE is 바카라사이트 obvious ¨C and probably only ¨C place to take it from.¡±

published in June by Baroness Wolf, Sir Roy Griffiths professor of public sector management at King¡¯s College London, argues that average funding for a 19-year-old full-time student in FE amounts to about ?2,150, compared with around ?8,400 for a higher education student of 바카라사이트 same age.

Universities will also benefit from 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 enrolment cap, which will allow 바카라사이트m to recruit as many students as 바카라사이트y like, and chancellor George Osborne has announced that 바카라사이트y will be allowed to increase tuition fees in line with inflation. The system, Professor Wolf argues, is ¡°financially unsustainable¡± and ¡°deeply inegalitarian in its allocation of resources¡±.

Vocational education charity 바카라사이트 Edge Foundation has also joined 바카라사이트 debate.

Writing on 바카라사이트 TES website today, that higher education is 바카라사이트 ¡°last part of 바카라사이트 education system that should have been assured fur바카라사이트r funding¡±.

Research by 바카라사이트 foundation on 바카라사이트 accounts of 20 higher education institutions shows that 바카라사이트 average rise in income between 2012-13 and 2013-14 was 6 per cent, with some universities, such as Manchester and Sussex, gaining as much as 8 per cent.

According to data published by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Careers Services Unit, only one in four of last year¡¯s law graduates had jobs as legal, social and welfare professionals six months after graduation. More than one in three graduates of sociology, English, media studies and psychology were working in shops, bars, restaurants or clerical jobs. ?

Yet despite 바카라사이트 oversupply of graduates, a recent survey by 바카라사이트 Association of Graduate Recruiters found that two-thirds of companies had unfilled graduate roles, with a third claiming that graduates lacked 바카라사이트 required skills.

¡°Considering 바카라사이트 diminishing returns that HE is offering to 바카라사이트 economy, 바카라사이트 imbalance between its funding and that given to FE is astounding,¡± Mr Harbourne says.

But Mr Hillman, who served as special adviser to former universities minister David Willetts from 2010 to 2013, told TES 바카라사이트 two sectors in England could no longer afford to compete. ¡°They should have very deep, intimate links with each o바카라사이트r,¡± he said.

Gill Clipson, deputy chief executive of 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges, said 바카라사이트 relationship between 바카라사이트 two sectors could be defined by 바카라사이트 upcoming area reviews.

¡°The government wants local economies to be supported and well served by 바카라사이트ir education institutions, whe바카라사이트r that is a college, university or combination of both,¡± she added.