The head of the first further education provider in the country to gain degree-awarding powers said that the motivation was about taking ¡°control of its own powers¡± to provide higher education and to ¡°complement the offers¡± of universities.

Joe Docherty, chief executive of NCG, added that he was not trying to create new higher education institutions and said that his chairman can ¡°shoot him in the car park¡± if NCG¡¯s new powers lead to this in the future.

The Privy Council awarded NCG taught degree-awarding powers this week, allowing it to develop and award its own honours and master¡¯s degrees for all its further education colleges. It aims to use its new powers to build on what it sees as its strengths as a vocational higher education provider, developing degrees that are more responsive and meet the skills needs of employers.

One of NCG¡¯s institutions, Newcastle College, was affected when Teesside University decided to withdraw its validation of higher education courses earlier this year.

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¡°This is driven by two things. One is to have control of our own powers, [following] Teesside University unilaterally [telling] its FE partners it was withdrawing from HE in FE,¡± he told Times ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. ¡°This [also] happened six years ago, I think, with Leeds Beckett [University], and it¡¯s massively disruptive.

¡°It also means that when you want to create a curriculum that¡¯s pointing to a local economy and local employer needs, that may or may not suit the agenda of your accrediting institution; so it¡¯s really ensuring that provision is stable and consistently pointed towards the economies and local economic markets we operate in.

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¡°This is about¡­complementing the offers [currently] existing in universities. We have sufficient classic universities in the UK, and that¡¯s a view I hold strongly. I¡¯ve said to my chairman, if he finds a professor of poetry in the building in five years, he can shoot me in the car park.¡±

Martin Doel, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said that this was a ¡°big step forward¡± in demonstrating the ¡°quality¡­HE provision¡± delivered within the further education sector.

¡°Hopefully the government¡¯s ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and Research Bill will reduce any unnecessary bureaucracy to benefit colleges currently in the application process,¡± he added.

¡°We predict that more colleges will follow the example set by NCG in the next few years and will provide a distinctive HE service that meets the needs of local employers and communities.¡±

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Jo Johnson, the universities and science minister, said that the decision ¡°opens up more opportunities for young people in the local community to enjoy the benefits that higher education can bring¡±.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com