News

Second wave of Institutes of Technology will feature ‘strengthened’ criteria

New Institutes of Technology (IoTs) will require greater collaboration between colleges and set more ambitious student recruitment targets, FE…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

AoC survey reveals SME gloom on employee skills

A college representative body has marked the start of an annual celebration of the sector with a survey highlighting…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Flagship retraining service scrapped after pilot flopped

A multi-million-pound flagship national retraining service has been scrapped by the Department for Education after several mayors, including London’s,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Entire campuses will close for November GCSE resits, AoC warns

Colleges in high and very high Covid-19 risk areas will be forced to close entire campuses to cater for…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

End-point assessments could be scrapped for up to 30 apprenticeships

End-point assessments for around 30 apprenticeship standards could be scrapped under new plans announced today. The Institute for Apprenticeships…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: Government appoints two new board members at apprenticeships quango

Two new members have been appointed to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s (IfATE) board. John Cope and…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Apprentices to be given functional skills reprieve after being ‘stuck in limbo’

A flexibility that allows apprentices to take their end-point assessment before their functional skills exam is set to be…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Government mass survey of employers finds training fallen to lowest level since 2011

The proportion of staff being trained has dropped to its lowest level since 2011, according to the government’s latest…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Skills minister ‘hopeful’ free level 3 quals will be revealed next month

The skills minister has said she is “hopeful” the list of free, first, full level 3 qualifications being funded…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

£100m pilot integrated into £2.5bn National Skills Fund

The government’s national retraining scheme pilot has been rolled into the national skills fund, Gillian Keegan announced today. In…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Confirmed: Most GCSE and A-level exams pushed back three weeks

Students will still sit one GCSE English and one GCSE maths exam before the summer half term next year,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Covid-19 forecasting app for colleges launched

A new app that forecasts the spread of Covid-19 in colleges has been launched. Developed by the University of…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

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