This book sets current policy and practice concerns against the backdrop of community education and employs case studies to chart the developments and changes that have taken place in FE.

What are the values and policies which are driving the development of Further Education institutions? The rapid expansion and development of the post-compulsory sector of education means that further education institutions have to cope with ever-evolving government policies. This book comprehensively examines the current trends in further education by means of both policy analysis and research in the field. It offers an insightful evaluation of FE colleges today, set against the background of New Labour Lifelong Learning initiatives and, in particular, the links between college and community. This timely investigation of FE and New Labour policy, takes a unique community education perspective to determine whether the social objectives of current policy can be achieved by policy-makers, managers, staff and students in FE institutions. For students, lecturers and educators in the post-compulsory sector, in addition to policy-makers and managers, this is an invaluable source of information on a subject which is still largely under-researched.

'The authors have pulled togesther much recent research and provide not only an excellent synthesis of those studies, but also some illuminating thoughts of their own.' - Ian Duckett, Learning and Skills Research 'This is a thoroughly stimulating book ... One has to read the book, and anybody involved in further education, however obliquely, could probably benefit from doing so.' - www.escalate.ac.uk