News

What time is the WorldSkills 2019 opening ceremony and can I watch it live?

The WorldSkills 2019 opening ceremony starts at 5pm (UK time) today and can be watched live via this link:...

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
Opinion

Apprenticeship upturn need not be a predictable shift away from helping those in most need

Last February, when Skills Minister Anne Milton was faced with a 41 percent fall in apprenticeships starts since the...

Nick Linford
NICK LINFORD
Opinion

Ofsted talk tough on integrity in new regime, but they can’t do it alone

A first glance there is little new in the draft Common Inspection Framework and accompanying Handbook for FE and...

Nick Linford
NICK LINFORD
Opinion

This year, if nothing else, won’t be boring for us in the FE and skills sector

As the sun rises on 2019, the FE and skills sector is expecting another year of significant policy development....

Nick Linford
NICK LINFORD
Opinion

It’s now obvious that urgent action is needed to quality assure all loans-only providers

In 2013 the government moved several hundred million pounds of level three funding out of the adult skills budget,...

Nick Linford
NICK LINFORD
Opinion

Quality of apprenticeship policy suffers from ‘insufficient progress’

Two years ago FE Week exposed thousands of apprentices on standards without any approved end-point-assessment organisations. At the time,...

Nick Linford
NICK LINFORD
Opinion

Why is the sector celebrating greater dependence on the public purse?

In the past, the government paid 50 per cent of the costs towards the training of apprentices aged 19...

Nick Linford
NICK LINFORD
Opinion

Colleges Week should be a celebration with three messages for the chancellor

Having spent more than seven happy years working for a large college in South East London I have seen...

Nick Linford
NICK LINFORD