Adult education

DfE sets off on £17m hunt for HGV bootcamp training providers

The DfE has upped the budget and is now looking for nearly twice the number of drivers they were…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

College principal to become government’s new Social Mobility Commission deputy

Alun Francis expected to be second-in-command to Katharine Birbalsingh – head of the country’s ‘strictest school’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Skills reform

Calls grow for reform of ELQ rules

Former Conservative ministers and trade union bosses have both called for retraining rules to be relaxed

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
recruitment

ETF mulls scheme to bring out-of-work professionals into FE teaching

It comes after the Department for Education admitted there are ‘significant difficulties’ recruiting FE teachers

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
Covid-19

College brings back face masks after rise in Covid cases

It comes after a cases in Derbyshire increased by 6.5 per cent in a week

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
FE Week Podcast

The FE Week Podcast: The Tory Party Conference, Lords ‘Peer Review’ the Skills Bill and the future of assessment

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by exams board guru Kirstie Donnelly and policy director Simon Ashworth

Shane Mann
FE Week Podcast


News

Tributes paid after death of ‘larger than life’ principal John Callaghan

Callaghan has been called an ‘exceptional’ principal by sector leaders

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
Legislation, Skills reform

Lords in Skills Bill dissent

Ministers and peers are trying to add in changes on sixth forms, careers advice, and local skills plans

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Legislation, Skills reform

Baker to take on government over ‘inadequate’ careers guidance laws

The former education secretary is seeking to amend the Skills Bill to ‘oblige’ schools to stick to the Baker…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Adult education

DfE does ‘too much procurement’, top civil servant admits

Keith Smith signals the DfE is looking to move away from tendering for independent training providers. 

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
T Levels

NCFE scoops £38m prize in battle for T Level contracts

The charity has beaten City & Guilds and Pearson to become the flagship qualifications’ largest awarding body

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

DfE earmarks £3.3m for team of insolvency and fraud lawyers

They will advise on ‘financially distressed’ colleges and ITPs for the DfE’s provider market oversight division

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

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