The region has the lowest number of people registered on higher education courses at FE colleges.

The FE colleges have developed mainly for providing vocational opportunities to young people beyond the age of 16.

If not, FE colleges may have availability on their degree courses.

The FE colleges then took on different types of students and evolved into new areas.

They also offer some non-advanced courses, although the majority of these are taken at other FE colleges.

Many are 'general' FE colleges and offer courses in a wide range of subject areas.

A large proportion of FE colleges were also unable to attend.

It was formed by the merger of six FE colleges in 1993.

Schools and FE colleges could be in the vanguard of this push.

The government has recently commissioned the first independent research of higher education provision in FE colleges.