“Meaningful” but not enough to stabilise FE for the future: that is the Association of Colleges’ response to chancellor Sajid Javid’s announcement of £400 million extra investment for colleges this morning.
The association’s chief executive David Hughes said he was “delighted” the government had started to listen to college leaders, MPs, businesses, students and stakeholders.
“It’s not enough to reverse the decade of cuts, nor to properly stabilise the sector for the future, but it is a good start.”
Colleges have been overlooked and underfunded for far too long. Today’s announcement of an additional £400 million marks the first meaningful investment in further education for 16-to-19-year-olds for more than ten years.
