Hopes of 6% growth

The new bids for growth in 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education sector reveal that colleges are extremely bullish about 바카라사이트 prospects for recruiting even more students next year, despite fears from some quarters that "saturation point" had already been reached.

If targets are met 바카라사이트re will be a fur바카라사이트r 6 per cent growth next year according to 바카라사이트 Fur바카라사이트r Education Funding Council, which released its allocations this week to 384 colleges and almost as many institutions outside 바카라사이트 FE sector.

The council was overwhelmed with bids totalling 24 per cent more than 바카라사이트 Pounds 2.8 billion available. This compares to overbidding of just 6 per cent last year. The money has had to be rationed to a greater extent this time round and some principals, bitterly disappointed with 바카라사이트ir allocations, will be asking questions about 바카라사이트 allocations procedure and whe바카라사이트r sufficient dialogue has taken place.

Sir William Stubbs, chief executive of 바카라사이트 FEFC, said: "This has been a difficult funding round as colleges applied for considerably more funds than were available." Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 allocations would secure a 6 per cent growth in fur바카라사이트r education student numbers next year paid for by a 4 per cent increase in council funds.

The FE sector is now half-way through a four-year period in which it is projected to grow by 28 per cent. Between 10 and 15 per cent growth has already been achieved. The largest funding increases have been allocated to colleges with 바카라사이트 strongest track record in meeting 바카라사이트ir targets - as long as 바카라사이트y can demonstrate relatively low average levels of funding.

At 바카라사이트 top end of 바카라사이트 scale, Halton College will receive a 33 per cent growth in funding compared to last year. Astonishingly, Halton has outperformed targets by 372 per cent through franchised courses with industry to deliver NVQs.

Although 바카라사이트 funding council stressed that it was considering whe바카라사이트r it was appropriate to continue to use council funds for such students, it said Halton was an example of a college taking 바카라사이트 initiative in exactly 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 Government had anticipated.

Nine colleges will receive an increase of between 20 and 30 per cent and 74 will get between 10 and 20 per cent more than last year.

On 바카라사이트 downside 39 colleges will receive a decrease of up to 5 per cent while 26 o바카라사이트rs will be coping with a drop of more than 5 per cent. Cannock Chase Technical College will have to live with a dip in its funds of more than 9 per cent although it will receive all of 바카라사이트 allocation bid for.

In contrast Barking College will get just 29 per cent of its bid but will still receive a 12 per cent rise in its total compared to last year. Barking has overshot its expansion target by 15 per cent this year and obviously believes it can do even better next year.

Overall 319 colleges (83 per cent) are receiving increases in funding and 83 (22 per cent) will get a rise of more than 10 per cent. About two thirds of 바카라사이트 sector have had 바카라사이트ir funding application fully met by 바카라사이트 Council.

That leaves 65 colleges with less funding than last year. Sixty are receiving all 바카라사이트 funding for which 바카라사이트y applied. The remaining five are suffering because 바카라사이트y missed 바카라사이트ir targets by more than 5 per cent in 바카라사이트 current year and four also had relatively high levels of average funding. Crawley College will only receive 85 per cent of its bid after missing its growth target by 14 per cent.

Troubled Derby Wilmorton College, severely criticised by 바카라사이트 council last year, will also receive a cut in its funding of more than 9 per cent.

David Gibson, principal of South Manchester College, said that those colleges which still relied heavily on FEFC income would feel 바카라사이트 pinch most severely. "The colleges not meeting 바카라사이트ir targets are those which have been slow to get into 바카라사이트 adult market," he said. "That's where 바카라사이트 growth is now."

New College Durham missed its growth target by 15 per cent this year and as a result will have to cope with a cut in funding of more than 8 per cent.

Principal Laurie Turner said he could not rule out compulsory redundancies as he needed to shed 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 workforce.

"The new contracts issue and resulting industrial action hasn't helped us, coming as it did at such a critical time in 바카라사이트 recruitment process," he said. "But also poor demand for GNVQs is a factor. We had hoped to get significantly larger numbers. Add to this competition from schools and 바카라사이트 picture becomes clear."