Delivering higher education within further education in England: issues,tensions and opportunities

Abstract

There is an increasing blurring of boundaries between Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE), not only in delivery of programmes, but also in progression through programmes. The government has reiterated its commitment to widening participation and the removal of the divide between academic and vocational higher level skills. Further Education colleges have responded to the request to widen participation in HE by delivering courses closer to the client group, through flexible delivery methods and modes and co-operation with employers. However, there are tensions with this diversification of delivery point and methods, in terms of student support, staff workloads and research capacity as well as funding and investment.

Keywords

Widening Participation HE in FE

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