The learning and skills sector plays a critical part in working with young people disengaged from education, or at risk of becoming so, and supporting adults with low skills levels to achieve their ambitions in life, work and learning. In particular, the sector has a key role in enabling people to become engaged in education, training and work and opening up access to higher education whilst promoting the benefits it yields. Despite a proportionate inspection approach based on risk, it is encouraging that across the learning and skills sector there has been an increase in those providers judged good or outstanding. However, an overall increase in learning and skills providers rated "good" or "outstanding" masks a more mixed picture, with too many colleges remaining stubbornly "satisfactory".