“My government will prioritise investment in world leading infrastructure, research and skills and improve productivity and improve daily life for communities across the country,” the Queen told parliament today.

 In the Queen’s Speech, which set out the policy priorities for the new government, Her Majesty also said that the government would establish a National Skills Fund to support businesses.

Background: The Conservative government’s plans for FE

Opinion: Why college staff deserve our thanks this Christmas

More: Why collaboration is key to colleges’ success in 2020

There were no further details included in the speech itself, but the briefing document published alongside it set out the plans from the Conservative Party manifesto.

Queen’s Speech: What the briefing says

• The government wants to bring renewed focus to further and technical education, and will ensure our post-16 education system enables young people and adults to gain the skills required for success and to help the economy.
• This means an extra £400 million for 16-19 year-old education next year, an increase of 7 per cent overall in 16-19 year-old funding and the biggest injection of new money in a single year since 2010
• There will also be additional investment in T levels, supporting continued preparation for these courses with the first three starting from September 2020
• This means that funding is increasing even faster for 16-19 year-old schooling than for 5-16 year-old schooling.
• The government will invest an additional £3 billion over the course of this Parliament to support the creation of a ‘National Skills Fund’.
• The government will invest £1.8 billion over five years in a rebuilding programme to upgrade the entire further education college estate.
• The government are also planning to establish 20 institutes of technology across England- unique collaborations between further education colleges, universities, and employers -- offering higher technical education and training in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, to give people the skills they need for key sectors such as digital, construction, advanced manufacturing and engineering
• The government is committed to making sure higher education funding reflects a sustainable model that supports high quality provision, maintaining our world-leading reputation for higher education and delivering value for money for both students and the taxpayer.
• The government wants to ensure we deliver better value for students in post18 education, have more options that offer the right education for each individual, and remove barriers to access for disadvantaged young people.
• The government is considering the thoughtful recommendations made in the Augar Review carefully.