AoC Chief Executive David Hughes comments on today's budget

Commenting on today's budget, David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said: "This was always going to be a tough budget, and so it is not unexpected that there is little in today’s announcement for colleges and to support skills and training. However the plans to invest £820 million in the Youth Guarantee and £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy is a positive move and will enable colleges to support more young people so they do not end up not in education, employment or training (NEET).

"Given the high numbers of young people either unemployed or inactive, this investment is vital, alongside the important review led by Alan Milburn. It is also right to see colleges recognised as vital partners in the implementation of the government's industrial strategy, with 29 Technical Excellence Colleges now announced and being established over the coming year.

"While 16-19 funding has improved, we believe more will be required in the coming years to deliver the ambitions and policy proposals in the recent Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper. To fully support the nearly one million young people who are NEET, there will need to be more adult education funding, and to ensure millions of adults are not left behind by the tech and green revolutions we are seeing before our eyes, that budget will need to grow even more.

"Last week, we launched our Adult Learning Pays campaign, which will highlight the crucial role adult education plays in communities, supporting better social cohesion and tolerance as well as supporting the UK economy. Unless that forgotten part of the education sector gets the funding it requires, as a country, we’ll struggle to reach our full potential."