Chancellor Rachel Reeves urged to address further education 'crisis' or risk manifesto pledges

College leaders say they are facing a "desperate funding shortage" that will hold back the country's economic growth if not addressed.

More than 170 further education principals have signed a letter calling on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to use her upcoming autumn budget to level the playing field between colleges and schools.

The open letter warns a failure to properly fund colleges could jeopardise the government's manifesto commitments to build 1.5m new homes, transition to net zero and reform the NHS.

"As college leaders, we are writing to ask you to use the October budget to address the lecturer recruitment and retention crisis in our sector, fully fund the growing numbers of young people in colleges, and offer colleges the VAT reimbursement that schools benefit from," the lecturers say.

"Taking these three actions will help to ensure colleges can play their vital part in delivering the government’s missions."

The Department for Education said decisions on future funding for further education would be made as part of the government's spending review but added: "We recognise the vital role that FE teachers and providers play in empowering learners to seize opportunity and drive growth, which is why we are investing over £600 million in further education over the next two financial years."

In Norfolk and Suffolk alone, the counties' five FE institutions educate more than half of all 16 to 19-year-olds in the area, as well as training 6,000 apprentices and 10,000 adult learners.

They say they have a funding shortfall this year of more than £9m, having recruited around 1,800 more students than they have been funded for, and expect student numbers to increase by 4,000 over the next five years.

Between them, the colleges have 30 lecturer vacancies - not helped, they said, by the previous government's decision to not extend the funded 5.5% pay rise given to school teachers to FE staff.

Alan Pease, principal at Suffolk New College, said major infrastructure projects such as Sizewell C and Freeport East would suffer if he could not train the workers needed.

"Suffolk New College contributes significantly to the local and regional economy through the creation of a skilled workforce for the present and future," he said.

"Our valued employer partners recruit from this talent pool to ensure they have the necessary workforce skills to meet their needs, across many different sectors."

Nikos Savvas, chief executive of the Eastern Education Group, which runs One Sixth Form College in Ipswich, added: "FE colleges are central to solving the nation’s skills challenges. Given the specialised expertise of FE lecturers, it is only fitting that they receive pay parity with primary and secondary school teachers."

Another signatory of the letter, Jason Lancaster, principal of Northampton College, said further education had fallen through the gaps between schools and universities.

College lecturers are paid an average of £9,000 less than their school counterparts, according to the Association of Colleges.

Mr Lancaster said without the right staff, he would be forced to reduce what he could offer students.

"Across the sector we are finding it harder to fill vacancies in teaching roles," he said.

"Unless funding for FE is increased, the country will stall in its bid for growth, as there will be too few staff to deliver the skills training that our economy so desperately needs.

"Without lecturers, skills shortages will deepen, and our young people, adults and apprenticeships will suffer. It really is that simple."

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