Recommendation 28

As mentioned above, between September 2015 and March 2017, government oversaw a programme of 37 area reviews of post-16 education and training provision across England. The area reviews aimed to ensure that there was the right capacity to meet the needs of students and employers in each area, provided by institutions that were financially stable and able to deliver high-quality provision.53 The Department told us that the programme had helped to limit the financial deterioration of the college sector.54 However, we note that the sector still faces strategic challenges including sustainability; relevance to local labour markets; accessibility and equity of provision across the country; and clarity of the message about what colleges offer.55