Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that there is improved educational delivery for young people through collaboration between further and higher educational institutions, private colleges and training organisations

The government is committed to improving education and training for young people by strengthening collaboration across the post-16 education and skills system.

Further education colleges, higher education (HE) institutions, sixth-form colleges, independent training providers, employers and local partners all play an important role in ensuring provision is high-quality, coherent and responsive to local and national skills needs.

Accountability statements require colleges to set out how they support local, regional and national skills priorities and encourage them to work with employers, HE institutions and wider stakeholders. Local Skills Improvement Plans also bring employers and providers together to shape provision and improve routes into further study, training and employment.

The department is establishing Regional Improvement Teams to work with local partners, strengthen provider collaboration and support improvement across the system. All publicly funded providers are expected to deliver high-quality education and training, with standards independently assessed through Ofsted or Office for Students arrangements, helping young people progress with confidence into higher-level learning or employment.