Technical and Further Education Act 2017

Technical and Further Education Act 2017
Title	Technical and Further Education Act 2017
Enactment	Parliament of the United Kingdom
Year	2017
Chapter	24
Territorial extent	England and Wales

Technical and Further Education Act 2017 The Technical and Further Education Act 2017 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed aspects of further education and apprenticeship funding and oversight in England. It established new regulatory arrangements for further education colleges and created mechanisms intended to improve links between vocational training providers and industry through employer-led standards. The Act followed policy proposals set out by the Department for Education and was debated during the 2015–17 Parliament.

Background and legislative context

The Act emerged amid policy initiatives promoted by the Conservative Party (UK) administration led by Theresa May and influenced by reviews such as the Richard Review and the Sainsbury Review. Debates drew on prior legislation including the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, and were shaped by the activities of bodies like the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Office for Students. Stakeholders who contributed to consultation included Association of Colleges, Institute for Apprenticeships, City and Guilds of London Institute and employer groups such as the Confederation of British Industry and the Federation of Small Businesses.

Provisions and key measures

Key measures created by the Act included provisions to allow technical education providers to obtain direct funding by the Secretary of State for Education and to permit colleges to seek designated employer representatives to shape curricula. The Act expanded powers for the Education and Skills Funding Agency and enabled the establishment of new regulatory approaches used by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education where overlap occurred. It introduced statutory routes for the creation of employer-led T-levels frameworks drawing on input from organisations such as Pearson plc, City & Guilds and BTEC awarding bodies. The legislation also provided for insolvency and merger arrangements affecting further education colleges and facilitated commercial partnerships with entities including local enterprise partnerships and private providers like Capita.

Implementation and governance

Implementation was overseen by the Department for Education in coordination with the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Governance changes allowed governors and principals from institutions such as New City College and Greater Manchester Combined Authority-linked providers to negotiate funding agreements, with oversight by bodies including the National Audit Office and parliamentary committees like the House of Commons Education Committee. The Act required statutory guidance drafted in consultation with organisations such as the Association of Colleges, Universities UK, and awarding bodies including AQA and OCR.

Impact on providers and qualifications

Providers including sixth form colleges, further education colleges and independent training organisations such as The Skills Funding Agency-contracted firms were affected by changes to funding routes, accountability and curriculum design. The Act accelerated development of employer-designed technical qualifications, impacting awarding organisations like Edexcel and prompting partnerships between colleges and employers including Rolls-Royce plc, BT Group and National Grid plc. Qualifications reform interacted with existing frameworks such as the Regulated Qualifications Framework and the European Qualifications Framework equivalence debates, influencing progression routes to institutions such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and post-16 providers.

Reactions and controversy

The Act provoked responses from trade unions such as the University and College Union and political parties including the Labour Party (UK) and Liberal Democrats (UK), with criticisms focused on marketisation, regional inequality and impacts on staff terms raised by organisations like NASUWT and GMB (trade union). Business groups including the Confederation of British Industry broadly welcomed employer involvement, while some charities and campaigners such as Joseph Rowntree Foundation expressed concern about access and social mobility implications. Parliamentary debates referenced prior policy disputes involving figures such as Nicky Morgan and Justine Greening.

Amendments and subsequent developments

Since enactment, secondary legislation and statutory instruments issued by the Secretary of State for Education have amended operational details, influenced by reviews by the National Audit Office and reports from the Education Select Committee. Subsequent government initiatives under administrations including that of Boris Johnson led to further development of T-levels certification and modifications to funding announced alongside programmes run by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and partnerships with organisations such as Open University and Further Education Trust for Leadership. Ongoing litigation and consultation have involved stakeholders like Association of Colleges, City and Guilds and individual providers contesting implementation particulars.

Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 2017