AEB

Tactical subcontracting deal abandoned in mayoral combined authority

Funding rules state ‘you must not subcontract to meet short-term funding objectives’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Ofsted

Ofsted downgrades new provider after ESFA apprentice pay tip-off

Frustration over blurred ESFA and Ofsted roles

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Apprenticeships, Inclusion

DfE’s ‘bizarre’ BAME apprenticeships strategy

Plans to strengthen ethnic minority representation in campaign imagery and make use of ‘influencers’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges, Inclusion

New national leaders announced but diversity concerns remain

The FE commissioner has previously said that the lack of BAME national leaders reflects the small number of of…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Ofsted

New apprenticeship provider jumps from ‘insufficient’ to Ofsted ‘outstanding’

“Going from the verge of the business going bust to an ‘outstanding’ is an incredible feat”

Will Nott
Will Nott
Skills reform

ESFA to seek bids for national strategic development fund rollout

Other providers can be part of local projects, but bids can only be led by colleges

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen


News

Universal credit training flexibility extended again

Claimants can undertake training for up to 16 weeks for another year

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
T Levels

What providers need to know about applying to deliver T Levels from 2024

This will be the fifth and final year of T Level rollout

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education

‘Deteriorated’ finances on the mend at large adult education college, FE Commissioner finds

Fee income dropped by 27% from £10.1m prior to the pandemic to £7.4m in 2020/21

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Sponsored post

Encourage a winning mindset through our free competition-development programme

A first-time opportunity for educators and students to benefit from WorldSkills UK’s unique skills competition assessment modules based on…

WorldSkills UK
WorldSkills UK
WorldSkills

Poland to replace Russia as host for EuroSkills 2023

WorldSkills Europe approached the three member countries that had previously expressed intentions to bid to host the EuroSkills Competition…

Will Nott
Will Nott
Colleges

Nottingham College appoints new permanent CEO

She is set to join the college before the end of this academic year

Will Nott
Will Nott

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