Originally published in 1989, it was thought that one effective way out of the unemployment problem facing many young people in Britain at the time was to ensure that vocational courses in further education had a close ‘fit’ with the needs of industry and commerce. People involved in further education were therefore making tremendous efforts to develop appropriate forms of learning and assessment and to achieve effective communication between college and employers.

The contributors to this book provide a clear assessment of directions in further education and an overview of the key changes and developments taking place at the time. Many of the changes and developments discussed profoundly altered the nature and structure of educational provision for the 16-19 age-group and mature students returning to learning. Topics explored are some of the more important issues challenging FE at the time: facilitating learning; assessment and profiling; course evaluation; the Open Colleges movement; the Review of Vocational Qualifications; ethnic minorities and FE provision; open learning strategies.

Each chapter is written by an experienced teacher actively involved in formulating and putting into practice many of the new ideas being developed within further education at the time. The book will still be of interest to people working in further education, adult education and continuing education.