Further education is outperforming the rest of the education sector by a wide margin when it comes to training and development, according to the biggest ever analysis of the needs of the FE workforce in these areas.

The Training Needs Analysis report, by the Department for Education-funded Education and Training Foundation, in partnership with the Association of Colleges, the adult education body Holex, and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, draws on surveys of 481 institutions and 2,366 staff.

It reveals that the vast majority of the FE workforce are receiving training: “An overall figure of around 90 per cent for participation in training and development compares well with 63 per cent participation for the all-sector UK workforce and with 75 per cent for the whole education sector workforce (including schools and higher education institutions as well as the FE sector).”

It adds: “This positive picture - of widespread participation in training - is reinforced by the fact that training was, on average, of significant length (an average of 44 hours per individual trained).”

Room for improvement

However, the report says that there remains room for improvement and calls for training gaps to be tackled: “A focus on leadership and management, English, maths and digital skills is needed to take the FE profession forward with confidence through the current set of reforms.”

While the vast majority of providers felt that the training and development they received over the past year had met all or most of their needs, “a significant minority (23 per cent) of individual respondents did not receive all of the training and development they wanted or needed”.

The report also highlights major differences in the amounts spent on training by different parts of the FE sector, ranging from up to £889 per member of staff at independent training providers to just £172 for college staff. It comments: “However, because of their internal training resources, colleges may not need to spend as much on external training supply.”

Barriers to progress

Budget restrictions and difficulties in freeing staff up for training are key challenges facing the sector, according to the report. It says: “While the majority of organisations consider their staff training budgets to be sufficient to meet their needs, overall, a quarter of organisations do not consider this to be the case.”

David Russell, ETF chief executive, commented: “We are entering one of the most critical phases in this country’s history of further education and training. The opportunities the reforms bring, alongside the renewed focus on technical education, mean we have to ensure we have the high-quality workforce to make them a real success.”  

Responding to the findings, Andrew Harden, head of further education at the University and College Union, said: “This report clearly shows that further education staff have a huge appetite for training, but too often workload and budget constraints stand in the way of their professional development.”

He added: “If the government wants a well-trained professional workforce to support its technical education reforms, it must invest in colleges to ensure all staff can access the learning they need.”

And UNISON national officer Ruth Levin said the fact all college employees had access to training was “reassuring”. “However, it’s concerning that some support staff are losing out particularly those in administration as well as estates and facilities.

“This is compared with others including teachers and support staff based in classrooms. The majority of support staff based outside the classroom get fifty per cent less learning time than their teaching colleagues. All FE staff should receive the support they need to do their jobs well and progress their careers.”

Workforce needs

David Hughes, chief executive of the AoC, said: “We are very pleased that ETF has commissioned this research and worked closely with AoC and others to scope and carry it out. The research provides great insight into the workforce needs of colleges and other providers, and is an important evidence base for further development of the sector.

“Government and employers have become increasingly aware of the need to invest more in skills for young people and adults. That investment will only be effective if the lecturers and other staff supporting students themselves have the skills and knowledge to provide quality experiences. The research shows many positives about the investment colleges make in their staff but, perhaps unsurprisingly, more needs to be done.

“Together with ETF, we can agree the priorities for what colleges and their staff want and need in terms of workforce and professional development. Much of that need will be met by college investment. Some of it will need continued government support, particularly as new policy is implemented, such as T levels.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Outstanding teaching and leadership is vital if we want to deliver world-class technical education, so it’s really encouraging that the majority of those surveyed said they are able to get the training they need”.

They added: “To make sure teachers and leaders are equipped for changes in the FE sector, we are funding development opportunities for leaders, and investing up to £20m over the next two years to help providers prepare for the introduction of T levels”.