Cuts to college funding don’t mean fewer graduates gain skills needed for work

Having worked in the Further Education sector for many years, ire ad the article by scott Macnab on the report by the Scottish Government’s poverty adviser, Naomi Eisenstadt, with some scepticism (4 July).

Mr Macnab says Ms Eisenstadt “has criticised cuts to college funding with a warning that youngsters are now losing out on vital skills to gain work”. If Ms Eisenstadt herself used these words, then it is a skewed description of the reality in the college sector.

Mr Macnab goes on to quote the report by Audit Scotland, which says: “The drop in college numbers is damaging hopes of youngsters accessing a non-academic route into work.”

It is true that the number of courses offered has dropped, and with it the number of students. Part of this was down to action taken to minimise duplication of courses, but the vast majority of courses lost were lifestyle courses which would not have provided a route into what is known as the “positive destinations” of higher education, employment and training.

Today, the college sector is very much geared up to achieving these outcomes and heavily focused on the under25s.

A more valid criticism might be what effect the policy has had on the principle of lifelong learning and the level of support available for the over 25s.

However, to say that it is not geared up to giving youngsters skills and opportunities is simply not true.

Mr Macnab ends his article with a quote from Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who says the SNP “has slashed thousands of college places”. This is simplistic and if Ms Dugdale is not aware of the background she should inform herself.

If she is, then her soundbite does not show a high degree of political integrity.

There are many rewards to be gained by working in education. First among these is to be able to see students pass their courses and move on to achieve their goals and ambitions.

There are also trials and tribulations. Not least of all, seeing people with agendas who have never worked a day in education, carping their misinformation from the sidelines.