Further education
Further education is
post-secondary education (in addition to that received at
secondary school). It may be at the same level, at a higher level, or at a lower level than secondary education, anything from basic training to Higher National and Foundation Degree.
Higher education (also known as
tertiary education), is education at a higher level than further education.
In the
United Kingdom,
further education (often abbreviated FE) is taken to mean education for people over 16, usually excluding universities. This is primarily taught in FE
colleges (which are similar in concept to US
community colleges, and indeed often use "community college" in their title), work-based learning, and adult and community learning institutions. This includes post-16 courses similar to those taught at schools and sub-degree courses similar to those taught at
higher education (HE) colleges (which also teach degree-level courses) and at some universities.
Since 2001, further education in England has been managed by the
Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the largest government agency funding education provision. The LSC has a budget of some £7 billion and is organised on a regional basis through around 47 local councils. The LSC has a particular mission to improve and expand further education provision, driven by the UK government's desire to increase standards in post-16 student retention and achievement, particularly in skills-based vocational provision in FE colleges. Recent government-driven LSC and
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) policies, such as
Success for All and the
Skills Strategy, articulate this vision.
Further Education in Wales is provided through:
*
Sixth Form Colleges
* FE colleges
* High School Sixth Form within
Secondary schoolsFurther Education in Wales comes under the remit of the
Welsh Assembly Government and was formerly funded by
ELWa before its merger with the Assembly.
Qualifications
*
Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification*
Key Skills QualificationHigh School Sixth Form
* Year 12 or Lower Sixth, age 16 to 17 (AS-level examinations)
* Year 13 or Upper Sixth, age 17 to 18 (A2-level examinations. Both AS-levels and A2-levels count towards
'A'-levels.)
See also
*
Education in Wales*
Aberdare College*
Alton College *
Barton Peveril College*
Barry College*
Basingstoke College of Technology *
Bridgend College*
Brockenhurst College*
Carmarthenshire College*
Coleg Ceredigion*
Coleg Glan Hafren*
Coleg Harlech*
Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor*
Coleg Menai*
Coleg Gwent*
Coleg Llandrillo Cymru*
Coleg Powys*
Cricklade College*
Deeside College*
Eastleigh College*
Fareham College*
Farnborough College of Technology*
Havant College*
Gorseinon College*
Llysfasi College*
Merthyr Tydfil College*
Minstead Training Project *
Neath Port Talbot College*
Peter Symonds College *
Pembrokeshire College*
Pontypridd College*
Queen Mary's College*
Sixth Form College Farnborough*
South Downs College*
Sparsholt College Hampshire*
St Davids VI Form College*
St Vincent College*
Sutton Coldfield College*
Swansea College*
Totton College*
Treloar College *
Welsh College of Horticulture*
Yale College*
Ystrad Mynach College*
Education by country*
Community college*
Continuing education*
graduate school*
Lifelong learning*
Technical and Further Education (
Australia)
*
National Union of Students of the United Kingdom
