The document, The Coalition: our programme for government, offers the first real look at what policies were traded during intense negotiating last week.

Under a heading titled Universities and Further Education, it pledges to create more college places to build a strong and innovative economy.

Although much emphasis is placed on a lack of funds throughout the new manifesto, the government will "seek ways to support the creation of apprenticeships, internships, work pairings, and college and workplace training places as part of our wider programme to get Britain working".

As expected, both Tories and Lib Dems find common ground in plans to "set colleges free from state control and abolish many of the further education quangos". Those set for the axe include the new funding agencies that only came into effect last month.

Welcoming the opportunity to work with a new coalition government, Toni Fazaeli, chief executive of IfL, said: "As the independent professional body for teachers and trainers throughout the further education and skills sector, we anticipate and expect that the government will wish to listen to our members, to get real insights into over 200,000 frontline practitioners' unmediated perspectives on the needs of millions of young and adult learners, and employers.

"We hope that ministers will trust and draw on teaching professionals' wisdom, and celebrate and commit to the highest quality teaching and training across further education and skills. The country needs this.

"Professionally qualified and expert teachers and trainers are central to helping us out of recession and to building strong communities. Now is the time for high-return i nvestment in frontline professionals, and we agree with pre-election pledges to cut waste rather than frontline services.

"We very much look forward to working the new government, in the spirit of collaborative partnership and sharing 'truth from the ground level with power', and to make a difference for learners and the economy."

Jason Rainbow

(Pictured: IfL chief executive Toni Fazaeli)