What Are AI Agents and How Could They Transform the FE Sector?
Across both enterprise and education, conversations around AI are becoming more grounded – less about the promise of the future and more about the actions of the present. Central to this shift is the rise of AI agents: intelligent systems designed not just to inform, but to act.
Unlike traditional AI tools that rely on user input or serve up predictive insights, AI agents operate independently. They can execute multi-step tasks, trigger workflows, and make contextual decisions by drawing on data across multiple systems. In simple terms, they behave like junior digital employees, embedded into an organisation’s processes.
In the further education sector, where administrative pressure and resource constraints are a daily reality, this shift presents a powerful opportunity. MIS platforms and CRM systems have long supported colleges in storing and analysing learner data. However, these platforms still place the burden of action on staff. AI agents, by contrast, can take care of the action itself.
Freeing up Capacity
Picture a scenario where a learner fails to submit ID for funding eligibility. Rather than waiting on a manual follow-up, an AI agent could detect the missing information, send a personalised reminder, track the response, and update the compliance record—all without human intervention. This isn’t simply about saving money. The more transformative metric is time. Accelerating processes frees up staff capacity, allows faster responses to learner needs, and creates room for greater personalisation across delivery and support services.
From early use cases across sectors, a few key insights are emerging. Many organisations find that launching small, targeted use cases such as automating document checks or onboarding tasks offers quick wins and builds internal confidence. By avoiding the pressure to immediately prove return on investment, they create space to test what works, adapt processes, and unlock unexpected value along the way.
AI Agents Are Reshaping How Teams Function
Interestingly, the presence of AI agents is also reshaping how teams function. Newer employees are becoming productive more quickly, supported by agents that guide tasks or carry out background work. This has the side effect of gently challenging traditional ways of working, pushing institutions to re-evaluate long-held habits.
That said, cultural readiness remains one of the biggest challenges. While the technology is advancing rapidly, the ability of organisations to adjust their working models takes time. Embedding agentic systems successfully requires more than procurement—it demands openness to experimentation, support for staff upskilling, and the creation of a safe environment for testing new tools.
Security and interoperability also remain high on the agenda. As with any data-handling system, AI agents must be deployed with careful attention to permissions and architecture. And just like in IT environments more broadly, institutions are increasingly wary of locking key functions into a single platform. Agentic solutions need to work across systems and support long-term flexibility.
Ultimately, the move towards AI agents represents more than another phase of digitisation – it signals a shift in how work gets done. In FE, that means freeing staff to focus more on learners and less on admin. The training providers and colleges that embrace this shift will not only operate more efficiently, but also build the agility to respond to changing demands and deliver more human-centred education.
By Isa Mutlib, Founder of Cotalent AI
