College Based Higher Education: Provenance and Prospects

Abstract

This chapter introduces College Based Higher Education (CBHE) in England. It explains what CBHE is and provides a social and historical perspective on the formation of the Further Education (FE) sector in which most CBHE is located. Early CBHE is seen to have developed out of post-war industrial rebuilding. The twin drivers of economic competitiveness and social inclusivity, although frequently in tension, are each shown to have helped to propel CBHE to the important and prominent position it now enjoys, and the chapter concludes with an appraisal of its future prospects.