Further education is post-secondary education (in addition to that received at secondary school). It may be at the same level, at a higher level, or at a lower level than secondary education, anything from basic training to Higher National and Foundation Degree.

Higher education (also known as tertiary education), is education at a higher level than further education.

In the United Kingdom, further education (often abbreviated FE) is taken to mean education for people over 16, usually excluding universities. This is primarily taught in FE colleges (which are similar in concept to US community colleges, and indeed often use "community college" in their title), work-based learning, and adult and community learning institutions. This includes post-16 courses similar to those taught at schools and sub-degree courses similar to those taught at higher education (HE) colleges (which also teach degree-level courses) and at some universities.

England

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Since 2001, further education in England has been managed by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the largest government agency funding education provision. The LSC has a budget of some £7 billion and is organised on a regional basis through around 47 local councils. The LSC has a particular mission to improve and expand further education provision, driven by the UK government's desire to increase standards in post-16 student retention and achievement, particularly in skills-based vocational provision in FE colleges. Recent government-driven LSC and Department for Education and Skills (DfES) policies, such as Success for All and the Skills Strategy, articulate this vision.

Wales

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Further Education in Wales is provided through:

• Sixth Form Colleges
• FE colleges
• High School Sixth Form within Secondary schools

Further Education in Wales comes under the remit of the Welsh Assembly Government and was formerly funded by ELWa before its merger with the Assembly.

Qualifications

• Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification
• Key Skills Qualification

High School Sixth Form

• Year 12 or Lower Sixth, age 16 to 17 (AS-level examinations)
• Year 13 or Upper Sixth, age 17 to 18 (A2-level examinations. Both AS-levels and A2-levels count towards 'A'-levels.)

FE/Sixth form Colleges

• Aberdare College
• Barry College
• Bridgend College
• Carmarthenshire College
• Coleg Ceredigion
• Deeside College
• Coleg Glan Hafren
• Coleg Harlech
• Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor
• Coleg Menai
• Coleg Powys
• Gorseinon College
• Coleg Gwent
• Coleg Llandrillo Cymru
• Llysfasi College
• Merthyr Tydfil College
• Neath Port Talbot College
• Pembrokeshire College
• Pontypridd College
• St Davids VI Form College
• Sutton Coldfield College
• Swansea College
• Welsh College of Horticulture
• Yale College
• Ystrad Mynach College

See also

• Education in Wales

See also

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• Education by country
• Community college
• Continuing education
• graduate school
• Lifelong learning
• Technical and Further Education (Australia)

Educational stages | Vocational education | Education in the United Kingdom

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