Further education in Britain means education after GCSE and GNVQ exams taken around the age of 16. It includes courses of study leading to A levels which students take at their school or sixth-form college . Some students go straight to a college of further education which offers a wider range of full- and part-time courses. Further education also includes training for professional qualifications in nursing, accountancy and management, and in fields such as art and music. The term higher education is used in Britain and the US to refer to degree courses at universities.
In the US further education usually means any other education after secondary school. It can mean study at college, or any study towards a professional qualification, and it can have a meaning similar to that of adult education or continuing education , i.e. something that people do after completing their main education, often for personal interest and satisfaction.
Many students in Britain take vocational training courses in fields such as building, engineering, hairdressing or secretarial skills. Colleges of further education offer courses leading to NVQs and other certificates and diplomas. Work-related courses are designed with advice from industry, with the aim of producing students who will have the skills employers require. On longer courses students may do placements ( AmE internships ) (= periods of work) lasting several months with companies. On other courses, called sandwich courses , students divide their time between periods of paid work and periods of study. A common arrangement is for students to get day release from their work to attend college one or two days a week over several years. Some students do a formal apprenticeship , learning their skills on the job and attending college part-time.
The British government is keen to persuade more young people to remain in education as long as possible in order to build up a more highly skilled, better educated workforce. About 3.9 million people take part-time further education courses, while another 1.1 million are full-time students.