Further education
Encyclopedia
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom
and Ireland
. It is post-compulsory education
(in addition to that received at secondary school
), that is distinct from the education offered in universities (higher education
). It may be at any level above compulsory education, from basic training to Higher National Diploma
or Foundation Degree
.
A distinction is usually made between FE and higher education
("HE") which is education at a higher level than secondary school, usually provided in distinct institutions such as universities. FE in the United Kingdom therefore includes education for people over 16, usually excluding universities. It is primarily taught in FE college
s (which are similar in concept to United States
community college
s, and sometimes use "community college" in their title), work-based learning, and adult and community learning institutions. This includes post-16 courses similar to those taught at schools and sub-degree courses similar to those taught at higher education
(HE) colleges (which also teach degree-level courses) and at some universities.
, technical and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System
/Australian Qualifications Framework
/Australian Quality Training Framework. Fields covered include hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, secretarial skills, visual arts, information technology and community work.
Individual TAFE institutions (usually with many campuses) are known as either colleges or institutes, depending on the state or territory. TAFE colleges are owned, operated and financed by the various state and territory
governments. This is in contrast to the higher education
sector, whose funding is predominantly the domain of the Commonwealth government
and whose universities
are predominantly owned by the state governments.
(LSC), the then largest government agency funding education provision. The LSC had a budget of some £13 billion and is organised on a regional basis through around 47 local councils. The LSC had a particular mission to improve and expand further education provision, driven by the UK government's desire to increase standards in post-16 student retention and achievement, particularly in skills-based vocational provision in FE colleges. Recent government-driven LSC and Department for Children, Schools and Families
policies, such as Success for All
and the Skills Strategy, articulate this vision.
Colleges in England that are regarded as part of the FE sector include:
In addition, FE courses may be offered in the school sector, both in sixth form (16-19) schools, or, more commonly, sixth forms within secondary schools.
The Learning and Skills Improvement Service
(LSIS - formerly the Quality Improvement Agency
and Centre for Excellence in Leadership) is the sector owned body supporting the development of excellent and sustainable FE provision across the learning and skills sector. Its aim is to accelerate the drive for excellence and, working in partnership with all parts of the sector, builds on the sector’s own capacity to design, commission and deliver improvement and strategic change.
The Learning and Skills Network LSN offers training and consultancy.
For technology support and advice, JISC provides a network of regional support centres, free at the point of use to anyone working in colleges in the UK.
From September 2007, teachers working in FE in England are required to gain professional status, known as Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills
(QTLS). The first stage of QTLS is an initial 'passport to teaching' module. The second stage is full teacher training, which would typically take up to five years to complete. The qualification covers both taught and practical skills, and also requires teachers to undertake 30 hours of continuous professional development per year.
Good quality support for employers is indicated by the award of the Training Quality Standard, an initiative to improve the quality of provision for vocational education, while all colleges and FE providers are subject to regular inspections by Ofsted
.
Lifelong Learning UK
is the independent sector skills council responsible for the qualifications and standards for teachers working in FE. The trade unions for FE staff are the University and College Union
and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers
. Teachers working in the sixth form colleges, sixth form schools and sixth forms of secondary schools are eligible to join the teaching unions which recruit in the secondary school sector
In England, further education is often seen as forming one part of a wider learning and skills sector, alongside workplace education, prison education, and other types of non-school, non-university education and training. Since June 2009, the sector is overseen by the new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
, although some parts (such as education and training for 14-19 year olds) fall within the Department for Children, Schools and Families
.
has the responsibility for providing FE in the province.
Most secondary schools also provide a Sixth Form scheme whereby a student can choose to attend said school for 2 additional years to complete their AS and A-levels.
, usually in the form of an HND
can be taken in an FE college, followed by attendance at university.
is provided through:
Further education in Wales comes under the remit of the Welsh Assembly Government
and was formerly funded by ELWa
before its merger with the Assembly.
has further education colleges.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is post-compulsory education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
(in addition to that received at secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
), that is distinct from the education offered in universities (higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
). It may be at any level above compulsory education, from basic training to Higher National Diploma
Higher National Diploma
A Higher National Diploma is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom. This qualification can be used to gain entry into universities, and is considered equivalent to the first or second year of a university degree course....
or Foundation Degree
Foundation degree
The Foundation Degree is a vocational qualification introduced by the government of the United Kingdom in September 2001, which is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
A distinction is usually made between FE and higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
("HE") which is education at a higher level than secondary school, usually provided in distinct institutions such as universities. FE in the United Kingdom therefore includes education for people over 16, usually excluding universities. It is primarily taught in FE college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s (which are similar in concept to United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
s, and sometimes use "community college" in their title), work-based learning, and adult and community learning institutions. This includes post-16 courses similar to those taught at schools and sub-degree courses similar to those taught at higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
(HE) colleges (which also teach degree-level courses) and at some universities.
Australia
In AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, technical and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System
National Training System (Australia)
The National Training System is the Australian system for vocational education and training under the Australian Quality Training Framework , in which employers, the States of Australia, and the Commonwealth Government, formalise a curriculum available for Registered Training Organisations to...
/Australian Qualifications Framework
Australian Qualifications Framework
The Australian Qualifications Framework provides the hierarchy of educational qualifications in Australia. It is administered nationally by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Few qualifications outside the system are accepted by employers or for...
/Australian Quality Training Framework. Fields covered include hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, secretarial skills, visual arts, information technology and community work.
Individual TAFE institutions (usually with many campuses) are known as either colleges or institutes, depending on the state or territory. TAFE colleges are owned, operated and financed by the various state and territory
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
governments. This is in contrast to the higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
sector, whose funding is predominantly the domain of the Commonwealth government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
and whose universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
are predominantly owned by the state governments.
England
From 2001-2010 FE in England were been managed by the Learning and Skills CouncilLearning and Skills Council
The Learning and Skills Council was a non-departmental public body jointly sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families in England...
(LSC), the then largest government agency funding education provision. The LSC had a budget of some £13 billion and is organised on a regional basis through around 47 local councils. The LSC had a particular mission to improve and expand further education provision, driven by the UK government's desire to increase standards in post-16 student retention and achievement, particularly in skills-based vocational provision in FE colleges. Recent government-driven LSC and Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
policies, such as Success for All
Success for All
Success for All refers to standards-based Comprehensive School Reform curricula for early childhood through middle school, produced by the nonprofit organization Success for All Foundation ....
and the Skills Strategy, articulate this vision.
Colleges in England that are regarded as part of the FE sector include:
- General FE and tertiary colleges
- Sixth form colleges
- Specialist colleges (mainly colleges of agriculture and horticulture and colleges of drama and dance)
- Adult education institutes
In addition, FE courses may be offered in the school sector, both in sixth form (16-19) schools, or, more commonly, sixth forms within secondary schools.
The Learning and Skills Improvement Service
Learning and Skills Improvement Service
The Learning and Skills Improvement Service is the sector-owned body supporting the development of excellent and sustainable Further Education provision across the learning and skills sector...
(LSIS - formerly the Quality Improvement Agency
Quality Improvement Agency
The Quality Improvement Agency was a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government whose remit was to support those institutions that provide education, but which are not schools or universities...
and Centre for Excellence in Leadership) is the sector owned body supporting the development of excellent and sustainable FE provision across the learning and skills sector. Its aim is to accelerate the drive for excellence and, working in partnership with all parts of the sector, builds on the sector’s own capacity to design, commission and deliver improvement and strategic change.
The Learning and Skills Network LSN offers training and consultancy.
For technology support and advice, JISC provides a network of regional support centres, free at the point of use to anyone working in colleges in the UK.
From September 2007, teachers working in FE in England are required to gain professional status, known as Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills
Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills
In September 2007 the UK Government introduced reforms to the training and qualifications of all teachers, tutors, trainers, lecturers and instructors working in the post-compulsory education and training sector .A key element of these reforms is the introduction of a new status of Qualified...
(QTLS). The first stage of QTLS is an initial 'passport to teaching' module. The second stage is full teacher training, which would typically take up to five years to complete. The qualification covers both taught and practical skills, and also requires teachers to undertake 30 hours of continuous professional development per year.
Good quality support for employers is indicated by the award of the Training Quality Standard, an initiative to improve the quality of provision for vocational education, while all colleges and FE providers are subject to regular inspections by Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
.
Lifelong Learning UK
Lifelong Learning UK
Lifelong Learning UK was one of the independent, Sector Skills Councils for UK employers in the lifelong learning sector. It was responsible for the professional development of all those working in community learning and development, further education, higher education, libraries, archives and...
is the independent sector skills council responsible for the qualifications and standards for teachers working in FE. The trade unions for FE staff are the University and College Union
University and College Union
The University and College Union is a British trade union formed by the merger in 2006 of the Association of University Teachers and the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education ....
and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers
Association of Teachers and Lecturers
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers is a trade union, teachers' union and professional association, affiliated to the Trades Union Congress, in the United Kingdom representing educators from nursery and primary education to further education...
. Teachers working in the sixth form colleges, sixth form schools and sixth forms of secondary schools are eligible to join the teaching unions which recruit in the secondary school sector
In England, further education is often seen as forming one part of a wider learning and skills sector, alongside workplace education, prison education, and other types of non-school, non-university education and training. Since June 2009, the sector is overseen by the new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a ministerial department of the United Kingdom Government created on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform .-Ministers:The BIS...
, although some parts (such as education and training for 14-19 year olds) fall within the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
.
Northern Ireland
Further education in Northern Ireland is provided through six multi-campus colleges http://www.delni.gov.uk/index/further-and-higher-education/further-education/further-education-colleges-and-courses.htm. Northern Ireland's Department for Employment and LearningDepartment for Employment and Learning
The Department for Employment and Learning , formerly the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment , is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
has the responsibility for providing FE in the province.
- Belfast Metropolitan College
- North West Regional CollegeNorth West Regional CollegeNorth West Regional College is a further education and higher education college in the north west region of Northern Ireland. The College has three main campuses: Strand Road, Derry, Main Street, Limavady and Derry Road, Strabane....
- Northern Regional CollegeNorthern Regional CollegeNorthern Regional College is a third-level educational institution in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The college has eight campuses around the north-east of Northern Ireland ; Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Felden, Larne, Magherafelt and Newtownabbey.- History :The college was set up...
- South Eastern Regional CollegeSouth Eastern Regional CollegeSouth Eastern Regional College is a regional further and higher education college in the south-east of Northern Ireland.SERC was created following the merger of three Institutes of Further and Higher Education in the south-east of Northern Ireland. These were East Down Institute, Lisburn...
- South West CollegeSouth West CollegeThe South West College operates in Northern Ireland on four campuses in Cookstown, Dungannon, Enniskillen and Omagh and, of the six new area based colleges, it is the smallest in size, but it covers the largest geographical area of counties Tyrone and Fermanagh.The South West College has 18,500...
- Southern Regional CollegeSouthern Regional CollegeSouthern Regional College is the name of the new regional further and higher education college in the Southern area of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom....
Most secondary schools also provide a Sixth Form scheme whereby a student can choose to attend said school for 2 additional years to complete their AS and A-levels.
Scotland
Scotland's further education colleges provide education for those young people who follow a vocational route after the end of compulsory education at age 16. They offer a wide range of vocational qualifications to young people and older adults, including SVQs, Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas. Frequently, the first two years of higher educationHigher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
, usually in the form of an HND
HND
HND may refer to:* Higher National Diploma, a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom* Hexanitrodiphenylamine, a World War II explosive with the chemical formula C12H5N7O12* HND, the ISO 3166-1 three-letter code for Honduras...
can be taken in an FE college, followed by attendance at university.
Wales
Further education in WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
is provided through:
- Sixth form colleges
- FE colleges
- High school sixth form within secondary schoolSecondary schoolSecondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s
Further education in Wales comes under the remit of the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
and was formerly funded by ELWa
ELWa
ELWa was an Assembly Sponsored Public Body responsible for post-16 learning in Wales, active from 2000 to 2006. ELWa's functions are now exercised by the Assembly Government's Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills....
before its merger with the Assembly.
Republic of Ireland
IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
has further education colleges.
See also
- AoC NILTAAoC NILTAAoC NILTA is a membership services organisation which leads and lobbies for the development and use of ICT and e-learning across the post-16 education sector...
- Bullying in further education
- Education by country
- JISC
- National Union of Students of the United Kingdom
- Technical and Further EducationTechnical and Further EducationIn Australia, training and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework...
(AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) - Workers Educational Association