Future Ready

The Independent Commission on the College of the Future (ICCF) unveiled a bold new vision for England colleges this week (Wednesday 18th November)

What does the college of the future look like? To answer this question, we need to ask two more: what do we want and need from colleges from 2030 onwards, and vitally, how do we get there? This will shape the look of colleges nationwide, and is what the ICCF set out to answer.

East Sussex College supports the commission’s future vision, which sees students empowered with the skills and knowledge needed to get on in life, support better productivity and innovation of businesses, and strengthen every community’s sense of place. To achieve this, the ICCF aims to enable colleges to be part of a more joined-up, all-age education and skills system.

The ICCF says that currently, the post-16 education and skills system in England is not set up to empower colleges to offer the full range of opportunities needed for people to reach their potential, especially for the 50% that do not go to university. The report sets out recommendations, that if implemented through the government’s upcoming FE White paper, will put employer voice at the heart of the system to help people find the right courses or qualifications.

East Sussex College strives to equip students with the knowledge, skills and behaviours to succeed, and is readily in position to be a college for the future, as evident in its course offer to learners across the southeast, which includes A-Levels, vocational courses, new T-Levels, apprenticeships, higher education and part-time courses for adult, and an international college.