Dick Evans, Principal, Stockport College of Further & Higher Education. Over the past five to ten years, the further education sector has seen a serious and steep decline in enrolments in vocational science, engineering and construction. The reasons for this decline are multidimensional and reflect the major transformations that have occurred, not only in the world of work but also within the workings of the global economy. The long and deep recession in construction and engineering has seriously impacted on the number of students studying these subjects in further education. As companies have downsized and outsourced their services, fewer staff
