Universities and colleges unite to call for overhaul of post-16 education system

A new joint report from the Association of Colleges (AoC) and Universities UK (UUK) calls for a major shift in how England’s post-16 education and skills system can come together to drive opportunity and growth, urging government and sector leaders to prioritise collaboration over competition where it is in the interest of the UK, their regions and students.

The report, Delivering a joined-up post-16 skills system, outlines a positive vision for a more cohesive approach between colleges and universities to better serve learners, employers and communities.

The report identifies solutions to collaboration barriers, including funding pressures, regulatory complexity, and a competitive environment that discourages partnership working. It also highlights successful case studies from across England where colleges and universities have worked together to improve access, drive innovation, and support local economies.

David Hughes CBE, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges said:

"Colleges and universities have common and complementary missions - to support more people to reach higher levels of learning and skills to help them in life and in work, to advance learning, research and innovation and, to act as anchor institutions to support communities to thrive through inclusive economic growth. Many already work together to help achieve those ambitions, but we believe more can be done to achieve even more.

“This report builds on the good examples of collaboration and challenges government as well as college and university leaders to go further. Our aim is for a post-16 education system that delivers for everyone, everywhere and addresses the challenges we face, from acute skills shortages and social divisions to entrenched regional inequalities and slow productivity growth.

"By shifting the focus from competition to collaboration, we can create a system that is coherent, inclusive, and genuinely responsive to the needs of students, employers, and communities alike. With the government setting a new target for two-thirds of young people to reach higher levels of learning, these partnerships have become even more critical."

Vivenne Stern MBE, Chief Executive, Universities UK said:

“Delivering a joined-up post-16 skills system rises to the challenges facing our education system. With the government’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper just around the corner, it is more important than ever that the further and higher education sectors come together to maximise what they can do for the country.

“Universities and colleges are united in their mission to provide life-changing opportunities for learners, help more people get great jobs, and drive growth in their local area.

“Drawing on many examples of effective partnerships that are already happening between universities and colleges in England, this new report signals the start of a new era of collaboration, which will unlock further opportunities for people, employers, and communities across the country.”

The report’s publication comes as the Prime Minister unveiled a landmark package of reforms at the Labour Party Conference to elevate further education, including a bold new target for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher-level learning - academic, technical or apprenticeships - by age 25.

Guidance:

Key Recommendations from the Report Include:

• Empowering Skills England to coordinate national and regional skills planning, and with a role to play in raising ‘red flags’ where there are barriers to delivering on agreed national or local skills needs

• Strengthening Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) to include universities as core partners, and with a greater emphasis on the need for a collective response to local plans

• The need to align the LLE and Growth and Skills Levy policies nationally, and empowering providers to develop a regional delivery plan which reflects local skills needs

• Colleges and universities to take a lead local in delivering on the government’s missions, including through aligning civic strategies to support public health, green transition, and safer communities.

The Prime Minister’s announcement at the Labour Conference included:

• 14 new Technical Excellence Colleges focused on high-growth sectors like clean energy and digital, with the potential to drive higher technical study.

• A new single funding model for Level 4-6 courses across FE and HE.

• Equal access to student finance for modular courses via the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.

• These commitments reinforce the report’s call for a more coherent tertiary system that supports lifelong learning, regional growth, and economic resilience.