If your talking about polytechnics being converted, they were never 'technical colleges', sounds like you've been reading too many tabloids. Polytechnics could

If your talking about polytechnics being converted, they were never 'technical colleges', sounds like you've been reading too many tabloids. Polytechnics could always award academic degrees(Up to phd) as-well, the main difference was they had their courses set by a central body. You could also study sub-degrees(Hnd) which are a bit like associate degrees in the US.