FEI rules will grant scholars and employers a say on course development.
The government has introduced new guidance for further education colleges requiring them to consult existing and prospective students about the courses they run.
Under the Further Education Institutions (FEI) guidelines, unveiled by further education minister Bill Rammell, colleges will also have to seek the opinions of employers to ensure the qualifications they offer are relevant to business and industry.
Mr Rammell, who is also MP for Harley, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering, said the move would ensure students' "learning experience" gave them the best opportunity to "realise their full potential".
"We recognise that students, potential students and employers are not passive recipients of learning but share responsibility for their own learning and are very much in the driving seat," he commented.
The National Union of Students has welcomed the move, with the organisation's president, Wes Streeting, praising the government guidance for putting students' needs at the "centre of institutional decision making".
In addition to further education colleges, the FEI guidance will also apply to the Learning and Skills Council.
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