Further Education and Skills: The Best-Kept Secret of England’s Tertiary System

Further education (FE) and skills could well be described as the best-kept secret of England’s education system. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people study, retrain and progress through colleges and training providers, be they school leavers, adults retraining or learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This happens quietly, locally, and largely outside the national spotlight. As a result, public discourse frequently privileges schools and universities, overlooking the pivotal role of FE and skills in national education and economic strategy.

It was therefore notable to hear Prime Minister Keir Starmer last year describe FE as a ‘defining cause’ of his Government. In doing so, he signalled a shift away from the long-standing target for 50 per cent of under 25s to enter HE, towards a new ambition for two thirds of that cohort to achieve higher-level skills through FE and skills via apprenticeships and HE. This framing suggests an intention to position FE and skills alongside traditional university pathways within a coherent tertiary framework. 

As policymakers once again turn their attention to the idea of a coherent tertiary education system, and seek to understand the role of skills in driving inclusive national growth, FE and skills cannot sit on the margins of reform. The successful implementation of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), the establishment of Skills England, the continued acceleration of devolution and the development of a genuinely inclusive curriculum all rely on a strong FE and skills sector and well-supported and professionally recognised FE and skills workforce.

Pathways to progression

Colleges and other providers operate at what Bathmaker (2013) describes as the intersection of education, employment and welfare. They provide level 2 and 3 pathways, functional English and maths, apprenticeships, higher technical qualifications, adult returner programmes and SEND provision at scale. Without this infrastructure, progression to level 4 and above is significantly constrained.

This matters for LLE implementation. A system predicated on modular progression assumes learners have the confidence, capability and institutional support to navigate complex choices. FE providers already specialise in supporting learners to build readiness for higher-level study, be this academically, socially and/or psychologically. If this expertise is not fully integrated into reform, there is a risk that existing inequalities could be reproduced.

Another potential barrier to a coherent tertiary system is when recognition of technical and vocational qualifications elsewhere in the system remains uneven, leaving learners at risk of becoming qualified but stranded. As Skills England and the LLE take shape, ensuring progression into levels 4 to 6, for example from T Levels to further study, will be a core test of whether England genuinely has a joined-up tertiary system.

Driving social mobility and opportunity

Evidence consistently shows that FE and skills providers disproportionately serve learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, including care leavers, young carers, adults with low prior attainment, learners with SEND, those managing complex life circumstances, and those at risk of not being in education, employment or training (NEET).

FE’s pedagogical culture (relational, flexible and contextualised) is designed around learners whose lives do not fit traditional institutional models. Pastoral care, mentoring, counselling, safeguarding, and financial and welfare support are integral to provision and these mechanisms enable learners to overcome social, economic, and personal barriers to progress. For many learners with SEND, FE and skills is the first environment where their strengths are recognised and nurtured. For those at risk of being NEET, targeted interventions, personalised mentoring, flexible curricula, and employer-linked programmes play an important role in reducing the risk of disengagement.

In responding to the Alan Milburn Young People and Work Review, the Education Training Foundation (ETF) argued for a cross-system approach to tackling the NEET crisis, including collaboration between providers and employers, integrated learning and reporting, and FE and skills workforce development focused on preventative and re-engagement approaches. Similarly, in response to the Government’s ongoing SEND Reform National Consultation, ETF highlighted that success depends on sustained investment in workforce capability and inclusive practice.

Employer-aligned productivity and reskilling

Alongside aims to break down barriers to opportunity, Government ambitions for productivity and growth hinge on expanding higher technical education. The long-discussed ‘missing middle’ of England’s skills system at levels 4 and 5 remains a structural weakness. FE and skills providers already deliver much of this provision, often closely aligned with employers and local labour markets. Skills England offers an opportunity to strengthen system coherence. If it is to succeed, it will need to recognise FE and skills providers as strategic partners with deep expertise in employer engagement, occupational pedagogy and workforce transitions.

Meanwhile, the changing labour market, driven by automation, digitisation, and the green transition, has increased the demand for reskilling. Adults in particular face practical and psychological barriers to returning to learning, including work commitments, caring responsibilities, and lack of confidence. FE and skills providers have long specialised in bite-sized, modular learning that builds confidence through incremental success. The Growth and Skills Levy provides a mechanism to scale employer-aligned modular training, supporting both workforce adaptation and individual progression.

Celebrating our civic and social value

FE and skills providers act as civic anchors within our communities, supporting local growth, inclusion and social cohesion. They deliver community learning, integration support for migrants and refugees, and partnerships across public services. Recent work has highlighted the many ways in which the sector delivers social, economic and environmental value. The latest report calls for systematic cross-sector measurement of the social value of FE and skills to enable the sector and its workforce to scale their impact and drive forward the Government’s ambitions for inclusive growth.

Building recognition

A significant majority of FE and skills providers are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, reflecting consistent quality across a diverse and complex sector. This strength of provision enables FE and skills providers to contribute to national skills priorities while also supporting social inclusion. As education policy continues to evolve, the question is not whether FE and skills has a role to play, but whether it is fully recognised and integrated as a central part of England’s tertiary system. Ensuring that it is will see the sector move from being the best kept secret of the education system to recognising it as one of its greatest strategic assets that is essential to building a system that is coherent, inclusive and capable of meeting the country’s long-term skills ambitions.

By Dr Vikki Smith, Executive Director of Education and Standards, Education Training Foundation