ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the actual and potential role of further education (FE) colleges in England within the national skills policy agenda. It looks at the current highly complex policy backdrop, the context provided by changes in the labour market and uncertainty as to the role of employers in education and training before reviewing FE’s performance in relation to existing policy goals around social inclusion and economic growth and offering some thoughts on the longer-term future of FE. As English FE provision shares a common labour market and economic base with the rest of UK, some relatively fleeting comparisons with policy and practice in other UK nations are provided.
