Hundreds of Manchester students could miss out on college places if lack of capacity isn't solved, says education boss

In a move being watched nationwide Greater Manchester hopes to transform technical education with its pioneering MBacc route, offering local 14-year-olds a chance to take vocational qualifications that will help them get the jobs of the future.

But what happens to those young people when they reach 16 and leave school? Are there enough places at Further Education (FE) colleges for them to continue their technical education in the subjects employers value most?

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That's the worry of John Thornhill, chief executive officer of Manchester-based education and skills organisation LTE Group which runs facilities like The Manchester College and UCEN Manchester.

He says that unless the capacity of the technical education system for 16 to 18-year-olds in Manchester is increased, the city's growing population means hundreds of young people will miss out on vital college places next year.

It's an issue elsewhere too. The FE Week website reports that in Leeds a shortage of places means some of the city’s poorest young people risk being left behind as colleges struggle with a “capacity crisis” caused by rising demand.

At The Manchester College alone last September more than 200 students were on the waiting list. This number is projected to exceed 400 in 2026 and reach almost 600 by 2030, despite LTE group spending more than £140m on facilities in recent years.

Mr Thornhill told The Northern Agenda politics newsletter: "Unless the national or devolved government allocate capital quickly to address this issue early in this Parliament, this will be a significant break on Labour’s growth plans."

There are currently nine FE colleges in Greater Manchester, but LTE says