A harsh lesson on college cuts

IT was inevitable, once the Liberal Democrats’ abandoned their pre-election stance on university tuition fees, that higher education would become one of the recurring themes of the coalition’s first year in office. Nick Clegg’s difficulties on this issue are indicative of politics per se – the ambitions of party leaders having to be tempered by harsh financial realities once they enter office.

Yet the toxicity of this issue has deflected political attention away from other aspects of education and training policy and, specifically, all those young people who do not have the academic qualifications, money or the desire to pursue their studies at university. For them, the choice is a stark – acquire a job, join the dole queue or go to college.

With apprenticeships at a premium, as illustrated by the Yorkshire Post on Saturday when we revealed how 3,200 people chased just 50 training places at Ilkley-based construction firm NG Bailey, further education is the only viable option for a growing proportion of school-leavers. It is also, let it be said, the only proposition for those who cannot afford the living costs that are associated with university education.

But it does not end here. Those from the poorest backgrounds may not receive the financial support that was provided by the Education Maintenance Allowance. And those fortunate enough to acquire a place now face the unfortunate prospect of their studies being compromised by job losses at several Yorkshire colleges that could undermine the quality of lectures.

By allowing itself to become so distracted by tuition fees, the Government appears to have overlooked the consequences of this looming crisis – and the assertion, repeated by many, that a high-quality education is critical to kickstarting this region’s economic resurgence.

It is a point that Ministers must recognise. For, without the building blocks in place that enable school-leavers from all walks of life to acquire jobs or the skills that will enable them to become the professionals of tomorrow, the coalition will face even more difficulties in trying to reduce the overall welfare bill – one of the key planks of its deficit reduction strategy. In short, some joined-up thinking is urgently required.