CONCERNS that Highlands College has an “outdated” campus and that the Island’s vocational training infrastructure is “highly fragmented” – with limited opportunities for adults to upskill or retrain – are among the findings of a recent scrutiny review.
The review, which was launched by the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel in December, focused on the provision and accessibility of further education in Jersey as well as apprenticeship programmes and the role of adult education in supporting career changes and upskilling the local workforce.
Professor Ellen Boeren, from the University of Glasgow, was engaged as an expert adviser to conduct a comparative analysis and identify examples of good practice in other jurisdictions.
The panel held a number of hearings with relevant stakeholders and also sought written submissions, which included feedback from several business owners and educational institutes.
One such submission, from the Jersey International Centre of Advanced Studies, described the Island’s current lifelong vocational learning provision as “scattered amongst several institutions”, adding that “there is no attempt to centralise the offerings for the purpose of producing the necessary economies of scale that would, in turn, provide more opportunities.”
The panel’s recently-published report, which includes dozens of findings and recommendations, notes “concern raised by Islanders regarding a ‘brain drain’ in Jersey, with many graduates reportedly leaving the Island, contributing to persistent staffing and recruitment shortages across sectors”.
“As outlined in the Budget 2025–2028, the Island is seeking to promote sustainable industries and build economic resilience through targeted investment in skills development, digital training, and vocational pathways,” the report added.
However, it acknowledges that – despite lifelong learning being recognised as a priority within Jersey’s education and economic strategy – Highlands College is the only further and higher education college in the Island.
The government’s 25-year ‘Investing in Jersey’ strategy published last year outlines plans to move the College to a “purpose-built” campus in town, stating that the current site is “not ideally located” and “lacks the capacity and flexibility needed to meet future demand”.
Writing in the review’s foreword, the panel’s chair, Deputy Catherine Curtis, said: “We heard that Highlands College plays a vital role in Jersey’s vocational landscape, but its current campus is no longer fit for the Island’s future needs.
“The outdated estate limits the ability to modernise courses, expand provision, and deliver the industry standard environments that today’s learners and employers expect.”
Last year, the government unveiled a 25-year strategy for investing in the Island’s infrastructure, which included proposals to redevelop Highlands. The Investing in Jersey strategy states: “A new Further and Higher Education campus will be built in St Helier, improving access for students, strengthening links with employers, and supporting the town economy.
The plan is to move Highlands College from its current campus – spread across 11 buildings – into a single, purpose-built facility in the centre of town.
Outlining a “key observation” from the review, Deputy Curtis also stated that lifelong learning opportunities for adults were “too limited”.
“Many Islanders who want to reskill, upskill, or change career face barriers that make it difficult to take that next step,” she continued.
“The lifelong learning offer feels disjointed, with gaps in progression routes and a lack of flexible options designed around adult learners’ responsibilities.”
Similar concerns were outlined in a submission to the review by the founder of NEON salon and hairdressing training school, Victoria Quérée, who cited “little support” for adults seeking to retrain or progress later in their careers.
“This can disadvantage career changers, returners to the workforce, and those responding to labour market changes,” she told the panel.
She also contended that private training providers “do not benefit from the same level of underlying subsidies as local colleges”.
Deputy Curtis argued that lifelong vocational learning “should open doors at every stage”, regardless of whether someone is beginning their career, returning to work or looking to retrain in a different sector.
“What we found is that while there is good work happening across the Island, the overall system is not yet delivering on the promise of ‘lifelong’ learning for everyone,” she stated in the report.
The panel also highlighted feedback from learners, parents, young people and employers regarding a lack of awareness around lifelong learning opportunities, concluding that “information is scattered, unclear, or simply not visible enough”.
It also found that the options available to young people within the school curriculum were “uneven and dependent on capacity”, with some pupils benefitting from “strong access to practical, vocational pathways” while others have “very limited opportunities”.
Deputy Curtis said: “Despite these challenges, the panel was encouraged by the passion and commitment shown by providers, employers, and learners themselves.”
She continued: “There is a strong foundation to build on, and a clear desire from all sides to strengthen Jersey’s vocational learning system.
“Through the course of the review, the panel has identified an appetite for a culture change; to promote a culture where vocational learning is valued and the division between academic and vocational pathways is closed.”
Among the more notable of the panel’s 20 recommendations is a call for Education Minister Rob Ward to create a statutory entitlement for post-16 and adult vocational learning, backed by ring-fenced funding.
It explains that introducing a statutory entitlement for apprenticeships and core elements of lifelong vocational learning “would better align Jersey with comparator jurisdictions such as England and Scotland, where there are entitlement frameworks and structured funding mechanism to support sustained participation”.
“It would also strengthen Highlands College’s ability to plan and deliver modern vocational programmes with the appropriate level of certainty and investment,” the report added.
The panel recommends that the “policy design” for this should be implemented before the end of this year – and enacted by September 2027.
Other recommendations put forward include developing a “masterplan” for a modern Highlands College campus, as well as reforms to apprenticeship subsidies, establishing a “sustainable” funding model for private providers delivering training and the creation of a single online public portal for vocational learning.
