By Alison Smith BBC News education reporter

The college already works with outside training providers

The principal of Richmond Adult Community College in south west London believes it is one of the "great strengths" of this country.

She has difficulties accepting the government's narrower focus on skills.

And she fears the "social purpose" of colleges - breaking down barriers, broadening horizons and giving people the confidence to achieve - could be under threat if the government's shift away from funding adult education continues.

"I have no problem with ministers promoting an economic mission, but I have with a narrowing of opportunity by saying that some things are not a priority.

"There is full access to opportunities here. You can start anywhere and you can go anywhere. What we are selling is hope and your human potential."

Not everyone begins with a grand aim of setting up a business, for example.

For some the opportunity to gain economic benefits comes gradually with an increase in confidence.

Which skills matter?

Mrs Conroy says that in London, a lot of the skills agenda is to do with the creative media industries, and does not quite fit in with the government's vision.

"In a global world, we are not going to succeed by increasing productivity in factories - but by creating the possibility that human potential is unlimited."

Skills come in a variety of forms and further education has to remain a "broad church", she says.

Anna has been assisted by access to professional actors

Her college has 15,000 pupils, of whom only 300 are aged 16 to 18, and she is keen to preserve its "professional adult ethos".

But if government funding priorities are on 14 - 19 year olds, she may have to consider doing more work in that area.

Adults from all walks of life can find something here, she says, including professionals, the old and those who are isolated or have disabilities.

She is reluctant to alter a successful formula. Rated outstanding by Ofsted, the college offers subjects from art and glass work to IT and entrepreneurship.

And it collaborates with outside partners such as Waitrose to provide training.

HAVE YOUR SAY Business will only be interested in paying to teach skills useful to them Drew Peacock, London Send us your comments

The college's facilities are impressive.

In one class older learners proudly display work from papier mache which has been exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

And in a nearby building around eight students are having their glass work assessed by Max and Alan - both practising artists.

'Practical approach'

In the past, the government has indicated that some providers in the sector needed to raise teaching quality.

Christina Conroy says that good lecturers are professionally active and responsive to industry needs, and says it is a myth that FE lecturers are out of date.

David Whitworth was an actor for 20 years who now teaches a one-year foundation course in acting at the college.

"During the year the students get to talk to a lot of people working in the business," he says. "You get a very practical approach here."

"It's important for our students to know that there are opportunities out there for them to get involved once they leave."

Students of all ages take the level 3 course

Anna Lea completed the course in 2004 and says she has benefited enormously from this "extended learning community".

"It can be a very lonely world when you come out," she says.

"I would never have been able to set up my theatre company or even go for an audition were it not for the actors who come in here to tell us how things are done."

Her company is doing well, she says, but runs on lottery money. On the acting side, her hopes are just "for some money".

Ruthine Burton suffered from a sudden downturn in professional opportunities in her field - computer art and animation.

After doing a conversion course in software engineering, she found there were few jobs available, and went into teaching.

"I am very much about my own practice - I want to show the students my portfolio, and the kind of work which got me jobs," she says.

And she agrees with the government that those teaching in FE need to be well trained to teach.

The course is designed to lead to jobs in industry

Simon, 30, is one of her students on a level 3 (A-level equivalent) Access to Multimedia course, which trains students to go into the web design industry.

Currently a plasterer by trade, he wanted to change careers.

He is paying �800 per year for the course, but continuing to work to fund himself. "I am finding it hard, but it is worth it," he says.

"You can either sit back and take what you've got or you can change it."

Free places

Sir Andrew Foster's report on further education in November last year said that teaching quality needed to improve in a small proportion of colleges.

But the route to getting the best lecturers is not necessarily to simply pay them more, say Ruthine Burton and David Whitworth.

Ensuring teaching hours are not too high will enable them to keep their skills up to date and attract experts in their field, says Ms Burton.

The White Paper is expected to confirm that level 3 courses will be free to under 25s - "absolutely excellent news", she says.

However, few in the further education sector seem to know how this will be paid for, and colleges are already facing a 10% cut in state funding.

Richmond is already being enterprising to bring in the cash, including introducing 10-hour taster courses priced at �65.

But Christina Conroy says the indications are that just �25m will be available to fund the new pledge.

After a quick mental calculation, she estimates that would mean just 10 free places at her college.

"I'm not knocking �25m, but how can we ration this and how will it affect other colleges already in financial difficulty?" she says.