Further Education (FE) colleges in Northern Ireland “continue to face financial challenges”, a new report has found.
The six colleges across the north “again reported deficits” in 2022/23, the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) said.
The auditor also said that the colleges “may not be able to do everything that they have done in the past” amid the “continuing challenge to manage their financial viability”.
The report by the NIAO found that the north’s six FE colleges had a total financial deficit of around £21 million in 2022/23.
But the findings also suggest that the collective deficit of the colleges had reduced from over £33 million in the previous year.
Funding for the colleges from the Department for the Economy (DfE) has been cut recently by 4% amid a reduction in its 2023/24 budget.
In the report, auditor general Dorinnia Carville said FE colleges “play a key role in developing skills”, but they also face significant financial challenges.
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“The FE colleges continue to face financial challenges and in 2022-23 all six further education colleges again reported deficits,” she said.
“However the continuing challenge to manage their financial viability means that they may not be able to do everything that they have done in the past and there is a need for clarity as to which aspects of their provision they should prioritise.”
