It is entirely normal for a Government to announce plans to reform either Higher Education (HE) or Further Education (FE). What is much less normal is a Government announcing a plan to reform HE and FE at the same time.

The Post 16 Education and Skills White Paper, published on the 20th of October, sought to do precisely that, as it set out the Government’s plan “to educate and train the workforce of the future and give people the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.”

So what are the main proposals in this White Paper? How much control do ministers even have over universities, colleges and other local and regional stakeholders? And will the plans in the White Paper bring HE and FE closer together or merely reinforce the status quo?

My guests are Shane Chowen, the editor of FE Week, and Nick Hillman OBE, the director of the Higher Education Policy Institute.

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