Inclusion

WorldSkills UK reveals 2023 equity, diversity and inclusion heroes

Winners included an apprentice who developed a financial literacy course for her community while also promoting apprenticeships in local…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Colleges

Colleges ask for extra £400m as ‘perfect financial storm’ hits

AoC warns of large-scale redundancies, increased class sizes, and campus closures

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges

Half of colleges report increase in hungry students

Survey finds student mental health, college funding, staff pay and energy bills are among top concerns

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Higher education, sexual misconduct

OfS proposes register of ‘personal relationships’ between staff and students

Non-disclosure agreements also face ban in cases of harassment and sexual misconduct

Tallulah Taylor
Tallulah Taylor
Apprenticeships

DfE ‘developing’ teaching apprenticeship for non-graduates

Ministers also ‘reviewing’ their existing postgraduate route ‘with a view to making it more effective’

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Colleges, Industrial action, Pay

Two days of strikes announced at Havant and South Downs College

Staff from two unions will be on the picket line after ‘insulting’ pay offer

Jason Noble
Jason Noble


Politics

Former top DfE skills civil servant joins PwC

Paul Kett joins accounting giant after serving 6 years in the civil service

Tallulah Taylor
Tallulah Taylor
Teaching

‘Expert’ teacher sweeteners needed to tackle ‘growing’ FE recruitment crisis, report says

Study calls on government to bolster incentives for employers to release staff to teach in FE too

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
News

UTCs group seeks millions from DfE for ‘sleeves’ in schools

Interested schools may also have to subsidise running costs of the mini-UTCs in future years

Amy Walker
Amy Walker
News

Marples family to sue DfE for over £37m

Founder of 3aaa seeks damages for aborted sale in 2016

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Training Providers

Over 100 jobs lost as Go Train files for liquidation

The training provider has ceased trading immediately, ending 30 years of business in the adult education sector

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen and Billy Camden

Must read

Colleges

Weston College governance failure allowed ‘concealment’ of £2.5m payments to former principal

Paul Phillips was paid £1.8m in 2023, including a ‘significant’ six-figure retention payment which his COO son ‘resisted’ paying…

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
T Levels

NAO reveals enormity of T Level take-up failure

Forecasts missed by 75% and secret DfE estimates show staff and employer shortages could limit places to 48,000 students

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Adult education, ITPs

Mayors dump adult education cuts on independent training providers

Up to two-thirds axed from devolved procured budgets

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Bootcamps, Skills bootcamps

Coding firm caught charging students for free bootcamps

Ed tech provider ‘regretful’ after complaints and promises full refunds as bosses try to sue DfE over non-payments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Frances Read
Apprenticeships

Entrepreneur chased for millions after apprenticeship collapse

ESFA uncovers ‘fake’ taxi apprentices as liquidator reveals intercompany payments days after firm decided to shut

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education

Fury as DfE cuts adult education budgets

Combined authorities told to expect reductions in ‘already deeply diminished’ adult skills funding

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen