Prime minister Boris Johnson has told Parliament that the further education sector remains at the heart of the government’s agenda. 

Speaking in Prime Minister’s Questions today, Mr Johnson said: “The agenda of this government remains unchanged: unite and level up across our country, with infrastructure, technology and education above all. 

“That includes our world-leading universities, which are now formulating vaccines against this disease, and, of course, further education, the skills that our economy is going to need so badly for a sustained economic recovery.”

More: Youth unemployment could rise by 600,000

News: Three-quarters of colleges have furloughed staff

Background: More than half of employers stop recruiting apprentices

College financial health

Earlier today, a survey by the Association of Colleges revealed that four in 10 college leaders predict a deterioration in their college’s financial health as a result of coronavirus.

Institutions have seen a significant drop in income despite a proportion of it being guaranteed by the government, and now, a third of college leaders predict cashflow issues, while 13 per cent believe there could be “a significant threat to solvency”. 

The AoC has also predicted that 100,000 young people may struggle to enter the labour market as a result of the coronavirus pandemic - and is calling for the government to promise a place in high-quality education or training to every young person who wants it this September. This, according to the AoC, “would make sure Covid-19 damage does not last a lifetime”.