The further education commissioner, David Collins, has also recommended some colleges merge for stability.
The further education leadership and management series is funded by Zurich Municipal.
The further education revolution was encouraged by the IRA ceasefires, and given momentum by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
The further education sector also depends heavily on a vast army of hourly-paid, part-time staff, many on exploitative contracts," he said.
The further education sector will no doubt be cheering Watson for his comments – but we guess more employers will need to speak out before ministers start listening.
The further education success rate was also much lower than in the other sectors - 30% as against 40% in the entire maintained sector and almost 45% in the independent sector.
This announcement set nerves jangling in the further education sector.
He is trying to simplify the complex system inherited from the further education funding council.
It has been playing an essential role in "professionalising" the further education teaching force.
This week the Skills Funding Agency published the further education budget for the next few years.
This was ordered in January by the further education minister, John Hayes.
