The importance of communication and relationship building in the marketing of further education

Abstract

This article examines and categorises the literature concerning the need for marketing in the further education (FE) sector and aims to establish the changing nature of marketing in FE since incorporation. Through a case study of one college, which included interviews with marketing officers, this paper seeks to identify a role for marketing that goes beyond that of a simple management tool to ensure enrolment targets. If students are to be encouraged to exercise their right of choice and be expected to make the right match between their needs and wants and course and college, then marketing must play its part in the process by enabling them to do this. Marketing has a specific role in the pre-enrolment stage based on communication and relationship building between all those involved: feeder institutions, prospective students, parents and careers and work experience officers. Only by building a relationship with these stakeholders and by fully contextualising the FE learning environment can the marketing department improve the quality of the information given to prospective students about courses and career choices. The paper concludes clearly marking the areas where more research is needed to look specifically at how FE colleges are carrying out their marketing activities.