A new three-year plan has been launched to support the further education sector in its digital development.

The new FE and skills strategy, launched by not-for-profit edtech company Jisc, aims to “provide digital services that elevate the further education and skills sector’s ability to serve people as lifelong learners”.

The strategy sets out the needs and ambitions of the sector and outlines a “digital elevation model”, which will be an online self-serve tool to help providers plan and invest in a digital journey relevant to their unique circumstances. 

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Jisc’s managing director of FE and skills, Robin Ghurbhurun, said the strategy will help the sector to build upon the learning from lockdown.

The need for FE colleges to invest in digital

He said: “While the pandemic has been hugely disruptive and stressful for many, it has given further education and skills providers a long-overdue shot in the-arm – the catalyst required to push the sector into a new era of technology-enhanced education.

“Since the day providers were forced to close campuses, those which had been slow to the digifest began to realise not just the potential of technology, but the necessity.

“These organisations were challenged the most at the beginning of lockdown but have hopefully emerged all the stronger for it.”

He said that “falling to invest in the benefits of long-term digital transformation risked failure” and that he hoped leaders were “elevating investment in digital infrastructure and edtech further up their admittedly long wish lists”.