Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship achievement rates 2023-24: what you need to know

Most large providers improve, while some achievement gaps between learner groups got wider

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Apprenticeships

‘Fantastic result’: Apprenticeship achievement rate hits 60.5%

Minister heaps praise on providers as the apprentice drop out rate also significantly reduces

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Sponsored post

Skills Bootcamps Are Changing – What FE Colleges Must Know 

Skills Bootcamps are evolving as funding moves to local control and digital skills trends shift. Code Institute, an Ofsted…

Code Institute
Code Institute
Budget 2025

Spring statement 2025: What the chancellor announced for FE

Adult education and skills could be hit by ‘another £200m’ in cuts in coming years, expert warns

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Apprenticeships

DfE ditches draft apprenticeship funding rules

Expert fears ‘vital contributions’ from front line staff will be missed

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges, Skills reform

‘New ways of doing FE’ inquiry: Experts give evidence to MPs

‘I actually don’t think we know how well the resit policy is benefiting young people,’ committee hears

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel


News

DfE shaves £500m off T Levels spending

Huge cost adjustment caused by low student numbers, DfE claims

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Ofsted

Sumo Games apprenticeship arm crushes Ofsted inspection

But likely loss of level 7 subsidy will impact the small training operation

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Ofsted

ASCL floats ‘3+ point’ grading scale for Ofsted and calls for reform delay

Association warns Ofsted’s five-point grading plan would leave ‘school and college leaders in a worse position than they are…

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Colleges

FE is top sector for sending deprived students on Turing trips

FE providers have sent over 22,000 underprivileged students on international placements in four years

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Long read

A new hope for UTCs

Despite being written off as a failure by Michael Gove, Baker Dearing CEO Kate Ambrosi believes university technical colleges…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Construction, skills

Chancellor to pour £600m into construction training

Plans include technical excellence colleges, cash incentives for foundation apprenticeships, skills bootcamps and more

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor

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