Colleges

College barber courses to run suicide prevention training

‘I’ve had people sit in my chair and tell me about everything… the affairs, the redundancies, the funerals. We…

Will Nott
Will Nott
Ofsted

Rail provider considers Ofsted challenge after damning ‘inadequate’ report

Ofsted found off-the-job training rules were being broken

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News
Billy Camden
Skills reform

DfE switches to individualised learner record for skills bootcamps amid dodgy data concerns

There were reports of serious gaps in outcomes data under the previous system

Will Nott
Will Nott
Traineeships

What a waste: sector exasperated as £65m for traineeships is handed back to Treasury

Provider procurement delays to blame, says minister

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education

‘Free courses for jobs’ initiative fails to boost enrolments

Early signs are that the new free level three offer isn’t yet boosting demand for courses.

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen


Apprenticeships, Traineeships

Apprenticeship starts recovering to pre-pandemic levels, DfE data shows

But traineeships are still struggling to take off

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Sponsored post

The Pearson National Teaching Awards: Who Are You Nominating This Year? 

We are fast approaching a special time of the year for everyone working in education, and no, it’s not…

Teaching Awards Trust
Teaching Awards Trust
Skills reform

£60m tender launched for third wave of skills bootcamps

Providers have five weeks to bid for contracts

Will Nott
Will Nott
Inclusion, WorldSkills

WorldSkills UK diversity heroes shortlist announced

WorldSkills UK have announced the hopeful heroes up for awards for advancing inclusion and diversity in skills.

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Long read

‘Students served by FE are vulnerable to modern slavery’

One college on an awareness drive around labour exploitation was amazed at how many learners were being mistreated. Jess…

Jess Staufenberg
Jess Staufenberg
Ofsted

Provider fights back over ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating

The provider blamed Covid-19 for withdrawals over the last two years

Will Nott
Will Nott

Must read

Colleges, Long read

Colleges on the frontline of a divided nation

As social media algorithms fuel intolerance and binary thinking, college staff increasingly find themselves dealing with the fallout. Jessica…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Colleges, Long read

Alun Francis, chair of the Social Mobility Commission

Deprived areas need vision – not victimhood – to level up, and Social Mobility Commission chair Alun Francis is…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Long read, Prison education

The prison that’s offering hope for a new life upon release

‘We’re saving people’s lives as well as turning them around’

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
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