The people who work in our colleges should have access to the same national programme of training and development that most other professions take for granted

Estelle Morris

The bureaucratic burden on colleges is also to be addressed, with the introduction of a simpler funding system where colleges are no longer forced to bid for cash.

The move is part if the government's pledge to raise the prestige and status of the sector, often seen as the "Cinderella" of the education system.

Further education colleges would be at the heart of the government's lifelong learning agenda, said the education secretary.

'Pillars of learning society'

"They are nothing less than the pillars of the modern learning society," said Ms Morris.

"It is therefore essential that the government works with further education to deliver the quality education service we all want.

"The people who work in our colleges should have access to the same national programme of training and development that most other professions take for granted," she said.

College principals have a huge and complex job

Paul Mackney, Natfhe

Concerns about excessive form-filling had been heeded and unnecessary burdens on colleges would be reduced, she promised.

"We know having to account for a large number of sometimes fairly small pots of money causes considerable extra work.

"We will reduce the number of separate funding streams that flow to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), enabling the LSC to simplify its own approach to funding colleges," the minister said.

From April next year, the Standards Fund would be streamlined with no more bidding rounds for small amounts of money and funding would be on a longer-term basis than at present, helping colleges to plan ahead.

Union welcome

General secretary of the lecturers' union Natfhe, Paul Mackney, welcomed the announcement, saying professional development was a must for all college staff.

"College principals have a huge and complex job. Better training could help many become better managers and avoid some of the industrial relations and financial administration problems that have beset colleges."

He welcomed the decision to reduce the number of different pots of money for colleges and all the associated administrative burden.

But this would not solve the "crying need" for more resources for colleges' core activities, including lecturers' pay and teaching for students, he said.

"We would like to see a clear earmarked funding stream for staff pay," he added.