Further education should compete in an “open and competitive” market, Learning and Skills Council chief executive Mark Haysom told college leaders.

Setting out his vision for both the future of the LSC and further education (FE), Haysom that the council would become less of a planner and funder and more of a “market maker”.

By doing this, the LSC will expand choice and diversity in FE provision, whilst protecting the needs of learners and employers, as well as vulnerable groups.

The LSC would also continue to focus on providing suitable skills for employment and getting more people back into work, he added in a speech to members of the Association of Colleges.

"Success in this environment is about truly understanding the wants and needs of employers and individual learners - and then responding to them with innovative solutions", Mark said.

Anticipating the forthcoming Leitch report, Haysom said that the LSC and the FE system would need to be "bold and ambitious" in order to meet future skills challenges and to ensure that England retains its global economic competitiveness.