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10 April 2026

Author: Paul Offord

Halfon pleads for nursing apprenticeships to be ‘special case’ with levy spending

The education select committee chair has pleaded for nursing apprenticeships to be made a “special case” with flexibility over levy spending. But skills minister Anne Milton told him in a special session this morning – dedicated to investigating what is holding up their roll-out – that this could not be done. It comes after FE Week reported […]

Learndirect Apprenticeship staff and assets transferred to PeoplePlus for nominal fee

The new owner of Learndirect’s apprenticeship division has transferred all assets, in a hastily arranged deal, to the company that had previously had an offer rejected, FE Week can reveal. It has been confirmed today that PeoplePlus Group Ltd, part of Staffline Group plc, has taken on the staff, customers and apprentices of Learndirect Apprenticeships Ltd (LDA) […]

Training for hundreds of glass industry apprentices branded ‘inadequate’

UPDATE: The government has confirmed that the Vocational College has now “ceased training”. “The DfE has appointed an administrator to support the transfer of learners and it is our priority to make sure that suitable high quality alternative provision can be found for all learners so they can continue with their learning with the minimum […]

DfE orders independent investigation into ESFA over 3aaa contract management

An independent auditor has been called in to investigate the Education and Skills Funding Agency over their contract management of apprenticeships giant Aspire Achieve Advance (3aaa), FE Week can reveal. Alyson Gerner is carrying out the independent investigation on behalf of the Department for Education. She is finance director of DfE-owned LocatED, which is responsible for buying […]

Did failed Greater Manchester UTC get ‘free pass’ despite warnings?

The viability of the failed Greater Manchester university technical college was questioned by government officials even before it opened, but ministers still allowed the project to proceed, new documents have revealed. Correspondence seen by our sister paper FE Week shows Department for Education bosses believed the state-of-the-art UTC, which cost £9 million to build, would […]

Huge concern over surge in higher level management apprenticeships

A surge in higher level management apprenticeship starts has raised grave concerns that employers are rebadging their training. Gordon Marsden, the shadow skills minister, called on the government to “urgently look deeper” at what is behind the rapidly expanding overall numbers of apprenticeships at level four and above, after seeing FE Week analysis of the latest Department […]

‘Preferred’ Social Mobility Commission chair wants ‘complete overhaul’ of FE

The government’s preferred candidate to chair the Social Mobility Commission has told MPs that the FE sector needs a “complete overhaul”, and reviewing vocational education would be one of her key priorities. Dame Martina Milburn appeared before the education select committee this morning. She made it clear that she is not impressed with the FE […]

Names of over 60 colleges involved in new careers hubs revealed

The names of more than 60 FE colleges set to play key roles in new hubs, which the education secretary Damian Hinds has said will transform careers education across England, have been unveiled. But question marks have been raised over how viable it will be for the colleges to implement the required changes, as the […]