A NEW deal for the region’s embattled colleges will be Labour’s “first act” in education, the party has pledged – but it warned there may be no extra cash.

Labour’s education spokesman vowed to turn further education colleges into Singapore-style “institutes of technical excellence”, by improving the quality of teaching, apprenticeships and advice.

Speaking with The Northern Echo, Tristram Hunt said the country was “shooting itself in the foot” by neglecting vocational education and job opportunities that were often filled by immigrants instead.

But, asked about huge funding cuts – which have been fiercely criticised by some North-East colleges – Mr Hunt replied: “I can’t say to FE there’s going to be new money”.

He admitted FE colleges had “taken a real hit” with a 17.5 per cent funding cut for 18-year-olds, which triggered protests from college principals and MPs last year.

Successive cuts are expected to snatch 25 per cent of FE college funding between 2010 and 2016, with a £260m reduction to come in 2015-16 alone.

A spokeswoman for Darlington College said it was currently wrestling with how to slice hundreds of thousands of pounds from its budget from April, saying: “It’s going to be a tough year ahead.

“We are looking to do things leaner and make internal savings. It’s very difficult when we are firefighting all the time.”

But, speaking after Labour vowed to accept planned Coalition cuts for 2015-16, Mr Hunt said: “It’s that old one; we have got no money - so we will have to think.”

He pointed to neighbouring schools, sixth forms and technical colleges, adding: “There needs to be much greater partnership, collaboration and pooling of resources.”

Mr Hunt said Labour’s drive to transform technical and vocational education would include:

* Ensuring all apprenticeships are at Level 3 or above – the equivalent of A-levels - and aimed at young people, rather than older workers.

* Requiring lecturers to have “regular contact with industry and business”.

* English and maths lessons for young people, if they have failed to reach the required level by the age of 16.

* Rebuilding careers advice, which had been “destroyed” – “one of the greatest crimes of this Government”.

Mr Hunt said: “Our first act in Government in education policy will be technical and vocational education.

“We are shooting ourselves in the foot in terms of our skills policy. We have got a huge number of jobs out there which we are simply not giving young people the skills to fill

“The best performing FE colleges will become institutes of technical excellence along the Singapore model – where they are high skill, high aspiration centres which are training young people for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Mr Hunt placed the issue above his other education priorities, which are raising teaching standards in schools and closer collaboration between schools.