Further education in the environmental and land-based sector is largely delivered by a network of specialist providers, both public and private.  The sector is served by 609 providers throughout the UK and has a well established network across the UK of 43 specialist land-based colleges.  A wide range of learning and training towards qualifications accredited into the National Qualifications Framework and ‘non-accredited’ learning is offered.

Further education provision also includes 10 Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in England, 2 Centres of Excellence in Wales and the specialist Colleges of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise in Northern Ireland.

In England, there are 135,798 enrolments at Level 3 or below by 98,991 individual learners, equating to 37,468 full-time equivalent learners.  90.5% of these learners are engaged in further education and include:

• 25% of learners were studying animal care
• 21% horticulture (including production horticulture, amenity horticulture and landscape maintenance with garden design)
• 16% equine
• 8% land, countryside and environmental studies
• 7% agriculture (livestock and crops) 

9.5% of learners are on work-based learning programmes including: equine (30%); horticulture (24%); animal care (23%); and agriculture (13%).

In Northern Ireland, post-16 education and training in the environmental and land-based sector is structured differently compared to the rest of the UK.  Post-16 ‘agricultural’ education and training is the remit of the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development, with other sectors and general provision being the remit of the Department of Employment and Learning.  Enrolments on industry specific courses have remained stable over the last few years.

In Scotland, 414 SMA registrations are identified.  There is, however, an absence of an industry supported Level 2 framework as a foundation for the Scottish Modern Apprenticeships.  Compared to other occupational sectors, in agriculture and fishing, employers are the most likely to infer skills from the qualifications that job applicants present.

In Wales, a total of 9,168 learners are enrolled on ‘agricultural’ qualifications at further education institutions, the majority of whom are studying part-time.  Enrolments are increasing across the land-based sector as a whole, which is due to the growth of horticulture, equine and animal care courses.  In contrast, enrolments in agriculture are declining.

Source: Sector Skills Agreement Stage 2: Assessment of Current Provision 2005