The Panel: answering the questions Gemma Tumelty - President of National Union of Students Chris Banks - CBE Chair, LSC & CEO, Bigthoughts Steve Broomhead - Chief Executive, North West Development Agency Paul Mackney - Joint General Secretary, University & College Union

The Panel Audience: asking the questions Tony Alderman - Barnet College Elaine James - Barking College David Collins - South Cheshire College Chris Morecroft - Worcester College of Technology Martin Penny - Stratford-upon-Avon College Dorothy Jones - Southwark College Sally Dicketts - Oxford & Cherwell College Geoff Hall - New College Nottingham

The Questions:

1. Overall, what did you think about what the Minister had to say in relation to FE?

2. What traditions of the sector do you most value?

The learners I represent value its openness and diversity and will value even more highly their ability to shape their own learning. As we move forward it is these traditions that must be at the heart of the FE Sector.

3. A skills agenda based demand led economy for FE may deny some of our hardest to reach learners the chance to participate in their futures. The voluntary sector cannot cope with the unfunded demands being placed on it to deliver to our Adult Learners – so where is FE’s future in that Community Based adult learning provision?

There is no MAY about it – we already know of a £2.5 million in a large London college in adult education. There are 600,000 places lost since 2004. So this is already having a real impact. We know FE is the engine for social justice for adults in this country and it must not be allowed to become less than that. We feel there needs to be a long hard look at the impact these policies have had so far and then an honest debate about the entitlements that adult learners should receive. There needs to be a community approach.

4. Is it inevitable that colleges will get smaller (Assuming no merger scenarios)?

There is certainly a chance that colleges will become more specialised and streamlined in their provision, however we would look to the LSC and its network of 148 local learning partnerships to ensure that the curriculum offer is broad enough to satisfy local learners and employers.

As long as the learners are able to exercise adequate choice in course and learning environment – which absolutely requires a level playing field in transport support to learners.

5. Do you believe private enterprises will run colleges better and why?,/p>

Colleges are in the main, publicly funded as public enterprises. They should add public value to Just Social Policies. Private enterprise in our experience simply doesn’t operate in that way in the education environment. NUS will always argue against the privatisation of education.

6. Given the Governments apparent commitment to reducing Quangos, which ones would you like to see go and why?

I am Not going to pick on one but focus on reduction and streamlining, gaps and overlaps. As the FE sector moves towards greater self regulation, providers will need consistent, coherent, support, particularly in the quality improvement arena. Self Regulation will be generated from with in the sector therefore providers need to identify and tell Government and Quangos what they need in the pursuit of excellence. I don’t think changes are to be feared, they should be embraced by Government and Quangos as it is a move towards a more mature and self regulated FE Sector.

7. If you were to have a change of government in the next election, what difference do you think this would make to the FE sector?

This Government has invested record funding in to FE and will enact an FE Bill. The first time since 1992. It has set a suitable pace for self regulation in the sector and will embed a learner voice in the new emerging system. Also, under this Government the LSC is streamlining its operations to be more effective on behalf of employers.

Should there be a change in Government, we already know that a reckless timescale for self regulation would be enforced and if possible an ever greater role for business in FE for employers not employment. They would want to see a “survival of the fittest” style sector and open the doors even wider.

In my opinion, any change of Government for FE would be a disaster.

8. Does the panel think that the new role of the mayor in London in relation to skills and employment will be replicated across the country?

The Mayors new role is primarily linked to the fact that London is a “City region” with a unique set of democratic structures. For this to be replicated elsewhere, there would be a similar democratic arrangement in place. There is presently a debate going on inside Government about whether city regions in other places should be pushed, and there are many different views on that. Even if they were, the likely candidates will be places like Greater Manchester, Birmingham or the Tyneside conurbation.

None of these potential city regions have boundaries that would match LSC region or regional development agency boundaries, as London does. That’s not to say that a future Mayor of Manchester, for example shouldn’t have a role in championing and advocating for learning and skills, and I think that they absolutely should. It is just that I don’t see any read across in terms of structures. We shouldn’t try to fit a square peg in to a round hole on issues like this.

9. What degree of confidence do you have in the Government’s treatment of FE?

We have every confidence that the Government will continue being responsive to learners. As Bill knows, learners will openly support and openly criticize where necessary – but, it is thanks to this Government that they now have the opportunity to do that. We need to look forward to continuing to work with the DfES in the future to ensure the Bill is implemented.

10. If you were 14 again and had to choose a vocational area to be trained in – what would you choose and why?

One of the new areas in the new national diploma is Film Making. This is both academic and vocational, an art and a craft which requires team work which I enjoy. However, I would hope I would also be able to do an A Level film studies as well to back up my vocational studies.

Just as I was when I was 14, I would want assurances that my studies had benefit to myself as an individual and had currency to both access to Higher Education and in the labour market.

11. How would you involve students more in the life of the college? Not only on the social aspects but in management as well?

Bear with me while I paint a picture for you.

An active and effective Course Reps System that has been set up, trained and quality assured by an outside body.

Whose input is overtly valued and effectively acted on in the self assessment procedures.

Every committee or body, where decisions are made about the learner experience and the learner environment, there will be at least one ore student representative.

Students are able to represent themselves because they have a democratic, well funded and staffed Students Union, thanks to corporation holding up its legal duty.

At corporation level there are at least 2 Student Governors and there is a student affairs sub committee on the board.

In short I would like to see learners involved at every level able to directly influence colleges, strategies and performances as recommended by Foster and taken up by this Government.

12. What major issue still needs real clarity to help establish the future direction of FE?

A - What form or mechanism is developed within the sector to take forward Self Regulation B – Similarly the collaboration agenda is complex – the new diplomas for example mean that learners could be at a school, college and WBL in the same week. Clearly the decks also need to be cleared for collaboration to work effectively to deliver the “Managed network of Provision” mentioned in chapter 6 of the FE White Paper.

13. The latest rumour is re-branding COVES. Do you think the sector is suffering from an attention deficit disorder?

Any re-branding of a learning organisation in the FE Sector should aim to make it more open, transparent and accessible to learners, employers and the public. i.e. Leitch out next month means more vocational specialisation, coves been a good way of steering, embedding and marketing vocational education. This must be taken in to account.

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