Further education facts for kids
Further education (often called FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education you get after secondary school. It's different from higher education (HE), which is usually at universities. FE can help you get ready for university or start a specific job.
You can study many things in further education. This includes basic skills, as well as higher-level qualifications. These qualifications can be like awards, certificates, or diplomas. Many are focused on specific jobs or skills. Organisations like City and Guilds, Edexcel (BTEC), and OCR offer these.
Some FE colleges also offer higher education courses. These might be HNCs, HNDs, or foundation degrees. Colleges are also a big part of apprenticeships. In an apprenticeship, you learn most skills at a workplace. You also spend some time each week at college.
Further education is for students who are over 16 years old. You can find FE courses at special colleges, through learning on the job, or at adult learning centres.
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Further Education in Different Countries
United Kingdom
England's Further Education Colleges
Further education colleges in England were first set up by a law in 1944. Their job was to offer full-time and part-time learning. They also provided activities for people over school age. In the 1960s, most students studied A-levels at school. But by 1990, almost half of A-level students went to colleges.
Today, colleges in England are independent bodies. This change happened with a law in 1992. It meant colleges were no longer controlled by local councils.
There are different kinds of colleges:
- General further education colleges
- Sixth form colleges (for students aged 16-18, often studying A-levels)
- Tertiary colleges (offer both school-level and college-level courses)
- Land-based colleges (specialise in subjects like farming)
- Specialist colleges (focus on specific areas like art or music)
The Department for Education (DfE) is mainly in charge of policies for colleges. Funding for colleges comes from the Education and Skills Funding Agency. This agency helps all further education students. In 2018/19, colleges earned £6.5 billion. Most of this money (78%) came from public funds.
Colleges need to attract students. They compete with each other and with other training places. Colleges can also borrow money and own buildings. They can hire staff and make agreements. They might also have extra money or face money problems.
A law in 2017 created a special plan for colleges that can't pay their debts. This plan is called "Education Administration." It helps to keep students' studies going with as little trouble as possible. For example, Hadlow College and West Kent College used this plan in 2019.
All colleges are checked by Ofsted. Ofsted makes sure that the education provided is good quality. There are also groups that colleges can join, like the Association of Colleges.
In 2020, the government gave £200 million to fix and improve college buildings. Colleges also had to put in some of their own money. This fund is called the Further Education Capital Transformation Fund (FECTF). Sixteen colleges were chosen for this fund. They needed to submit their plans by October 2021. The projects should be finished by December 2024.
Further Education in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has seven further education colleges. Each college has many campuses. The Department for Employment and Learning is responsible for FE there.
These colleges include:
- Belfast Metropolitan College
- North West Regional College
- Northern Regional College
- South Eastern Regional College
- South West College
- Southern Regional College
Many secondary schools in Northern Ireland also have a sixth form. Students can stay for two extra years to complete their AS and A-levels.
Further Education in Scotland
In Scotland, further education colleges help young people who want to learn job-specific skills after age 16. They offer many types of job-focused qualifications. These include SVQs (Scottish Vocational Qualifications). They also offer Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas.
Often, students do the first two years of higher education at an FE college. This is usually an HND. After that, they might go to university.
Further Education in Wales
Further education in Wales is offered in a few ways:
- Sixth form colleges
- FE colleges
- Sixth forms inside secondary schools
The Welsh Assembly Government looks after further education in Wales.
Republic of Ireland
Further education in the Republic of Ireland is much like in the UK. It includes apprenticeships and other job-focused qualifications. You can study things like childcare, farming, retail, and tourism. Many of these awards are called Post Leaving Certificates.
Further education has grown a lot recently. This is partly because colleges work closely with their local communities. Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) checks the quality of FE qualifications. QQI was set up in November 2012.
