Long read, T Levels

Red tape and cost pressures leave firms struggling to offer T Level work placements

Work placements are the most critical element of a T Level qualification, but employers are put off from offering…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Adult education, Higher education, Lifelong Learning, Skills reform

Lifelong loan entitlement: Maintenance loans in and ELQ rule out

Students studying higher level courses under the lifelong loan scheme will have access to maintenance loans following years of…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Colleges

Leaders at large Norwich college ‘very disappointed’ as staff vote to strike

Union says pay offer of up to 5.1 per cent is a ‘huge real terms pay cut’

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Sponsored post

SkillBuild 2023 – why you should enter your learners as huge demand for construction skills remain

The largest and longest-running construction skills competition in the UK returns, with registration now open for SkillBuild 2023.. The…

Construction Industry Training Board
Construction Industry Training Board
News

Limb to chair relaunched Lifelong Education Institute

The current chair, former minister Chris Skidmore MP, is standing down at the end of the month to focus…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Politics

Keegan snubs ASCL conference as schools pay stalemate continues

Education secretary will miss the Birmingham event because she hopes to be in school pay talks, union reveals

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker


Apprenticeships

Second chance for firms that failed to join flexi-job apprenticeship register

DfE confirms new sustainabilit6y assessment will be used to re-assess failed bids in last application window

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
News

Taxpayers’ £10m hit over ‘careers queen’s’ bust empire

ESFA funds cannot be recovered, say liquidators

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Apprenticeships, Ofsted

‘Stunned’ businessman vows to walk away from FE after ‘inadequate’ verdict

‘The sector is run as an autocracy’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Ofqual

Sign language learners affected as ‘ground-breaking’ awarding body to close

Up to 150 learners could be affected by closure of Institute for British Sign Language at the end of…

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
SEND

SEND improvement plan ‘offers no solutions’ to post-16 problems

Government finally sets out its next steps for SEND review launched over three years ago

Shane Chowen
Samantha Booth and Shane Chowen
Apprenticeships, Politics

Double tax on employers to boost training, says former education minister

Lord Jo Johnson said a reformed apprenticeships and skills levy was “the only game in town” to increase spending…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen

Must read

Apprenticeships, Politics

Phillipson to exempt young people from level 7 apprenticeships funding axe

Education secretary makes ‘important concession’ amid backlash from other government departments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges, FE Commissioner

Weston chair felt powerless over £2.5m payments to former principal

Ex-Weston college chair gives tell-all interview following FE Commissioner probe

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
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