by Matt Trinder

Industrial reporter

TORY ministers have presided over years of decline in post-16 education, with younger students from poorer backgrounds losing out the most, Labour says.

Analysis from the party published last night shows the number of further education students has fallen by a quarter since 2015, with the amount of younger and poorer students dropping fastest.

The total from deprived backgrounds has declined by nearly a third over the last six years, according to Labour, rising to almost 40 per cent among under-19s. 

The analysis also reveals that the number of further education colleges has fallen by a quarter, with the amount of full-time equivalent staff dropping by more than 9,000.

Successive Tory governments have slashed spending on further education by £710 million since 2010, a reduction of 21 per cent in real terms, Labour says. 

The party is committed to providing opportunities for under-25s to access quality education, training or employment if elected as part of its “jobs promise.”

In a speech today, shadow education secretary Kate Green will warn that ministers have weakened the foundations of the further education sector, hitting the life prospects of young people. 

“The ability to train and retrain will be essential to securing our economy, yet successive Conservative governments have hollowed out the infrastructure needed to reskill workers after this pandemic,” she is expected to say. 

“With unemployment rising, the government should heed Labour’s call for a jobs promise to avoid a lost generation.”

In response to the Labour analysis, University and College Union (UCU) general secretary Jo Grady said: “This government has overseen years of cuts which have led to lower pay, fewer staff and less opportunities. 

“It is time for this government to prove it is committed to further education.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The role of further education will be central to ensuring more people have the skills they need to succeed as we build back better from the pandemic.

"Our commitment to the 16-19 education sector has contributed to the current record high proportion of 16- to 18-year-olds who are participating in education or apprenticeships since consistent records began.

“Our ‘Skills for Jobs’ White Paper sets out our blueprint to transform post-16 education and training. It is focused on giving people the skills they need, in a way that suits them, so they can get great jobs in sectors the economy needs and boost this country’s productivity.

“In 2019 we increased 16-19 funding by £400m, the biggest injection of new money in a single year since 2010. This was followed up with a further increase of £291m in the 2020 Spending Review.”