AQW 50289/22-27

Mr David Honeyford
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 02/07/2026
Answered On Date: 21/07/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any plans that are in place to improve complementarity between the higher education and further education sectors in Northern Ireland to increase the number of further education students gaining places on undergraduate courses in Northern Ireland’s universities.

Answer:

Further Education (FE) colleges provide accessible and flexible pathways into Higher Education (HE) through the delivery of Foundation Degrees, Higher National Diplomas and Certificates, and Higher Level Apprenticeships.

As part of the FE Fit for the Future Programme, work is ongoing to review the FE curriculum to strengthen progression pathways and reduce barriers to higher-level study.

#I also recently consulted on a review of the approach to widening participation in HE which recognises the role of FE colleges, including their involvement in the Widening Participation (WP) Forum.