news&numbers from the adult learning sector
HIGHER EDUCATION The appointment of Professor Les Ebdon, Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire, as Director of the Office for Fair Access has been confirmed by government, despite opposition from MPs on the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee. Secretary of State Vince Cable rejected attempts to block the appointment after Professor Ebdon told the committee that he was prepared to impose financial penalties on institutions which failed to meet access targets. MPs on the committee said they ‘were not convinced by Professor Ebdon’s descriptions of the root causes of the obstacles to accessing universities’. Mr Cable said Professor Ebdon’s experience of higher education would ‘bring great benefits to the role and equip him to deal even-handedly with all parts of the sector’. ‘We undertook two long,
I am passionate about access to higher education and strongly believe that no one should be put off from going to university because of their family background or income
Professor Les Ebdon, Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire and new Director of the Office for Fair Access chair of Million+, the think-tank representing new universities, will take over from Sir Martin Harris later this year. His role at OFFA will be to safeguard fair access to higher education and widen participation among students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The government’s White Paper,
Students at the Heart of the System, pledged to strengthen OFFA, so that it can provide more active and energetic challenge and support to universities and colleges, and to make more resources available, increasing its capacity to four times its original level. Universities wanting to charge tuition fees higher than £6,000 have to satisfy OFFA that they are protecting access for poorer or under-represented groups. Professor Ebdon commented:
‘I feel privileged to be appointed to this post at such a key time. I am passionate about access to higher education and strongly believe that no one should be put off from going to university because of their family background or income. ‘As Director, I will respect the diversity of the sector and institutional autonomy while also working with all universities to ensure that their considerable efforts and very real commitment bear fruit. My role will be to provide greater challenge around outcomes but also to provide greater support through good practice and other guidance.’
20,000
Fewer full-time undergraduate courses available now than there were in 2006, according to a study by the University and College Union – a fall of more than a quarter
FURTHER EDUCATION The government has announced that, from April, colleges will no longer be classified as part of central government. The decision by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to reclassify colleges as part of the private sector rather than as part of central government, reversing a decision made in October 2010, has been widely welcomed by college leaders. John Hayes, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, said the move would reinforce the government’s efforts to give further education colleges ‘the freedom they need to make their own judgements on how to manage their affairs for the benefit of learners, employees and wider communities’. The government has already announced a number of other reforms intended to give further education and sixth-form colleges greater ‘freedoms and flexibilities’, including giving them more freedom to borrow money, putting them on a similar footing to charities operating within the private sector. Association of Colleges Chief Executive Martin Doel said: ‘We are extremely pleased that the government has succeeded in getting this decision reversed and has delivered on its promise to afford further education colleges greater autonomy. Allowing colleges to maintain their own affairs is not only beneficial to the institutions themselves, but it also brings more clarity to the way the public money is spent.’ Lynne Sedgmore, Executive Director of the 157 Group, said the decision of ONS was ‘constructive’ and demonstrated a willingness to listen to colleges and their business communities. The government has also announced its intention to set out further advice to the sector on new forms of organisation for FE providers.
£9,500 Extra student places allocated to further education colleges by the Higher Education Funding Council for England – around half of the 20,000 places available under the ‘core and margin’ system to institutions charging tuition fees of less than £7,500
APPRENTICESHIPS The number of employers prepared to take on an apprentice would more than double if the right package of support was available from government and learning providers, according to a poll of 1,000 employers. However, less than three per cent of employers thought an apprenticeship was most relevant to someone aged 22 or above – the age group which has shown the most growth in numbers over the past year. Ninety-three per cent believed apprenticeships were most suitable for under-21s. The YouGov survey, commissioned by education company Pearson Work-Based Learning, in partnership with
6 ADULTS LEARNING SPRING 2012
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