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UCU responds to Ofsted further education report

1 December 2015

UCU has said that low further education funding is acting as a barrier to quality, and that the government must put in place a sustainable funding system to ensure that further learners are not cut off from the skills they need to succeed.

Responding to the Ofsted annual report for further education and skills, published today, UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'As the report rightly recognises, the further education sector has faced massive budget cuts in recent years. It is little surprise that this rapidly changing funding environment is acting as a barrier to quality.

'If the government wants to support improvement in the further education and skills sector, it should put a sustainable funding system in place which ensures that cost is not a barrier to people accessing the skills learning they need. It should also recognise that apprenticeships are not the only solution to the country's skills needs and enable colleges to focus their provision to meet local priorities. The report supports UCU's previously expressed concerns about the poor the quality of many apprenticeships.'

Last updated: 10 December 2015

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