News

DfE broke student data protection laws, damning ICO audit reveals

The Department for Education broke data protection laws in the way it handles student data, the information watchdog has…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

EuroSkills 2020 postponed ‘indefinitely’ due to Covid-19

The EuroSkills 2020 competition, in which the UK was due to compete in January, has been postponed indefinitely due…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

One government department failed to recruit a single apprentice in 2019-20

Not a single apprentice started work at the Department for International Development in 2019-20. That’s according to the latest…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

ESFA to launch £80m adult education budget tender

The Department for Education is gearing up to launch a new £80 million tender for the national adult education…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Five things we learned from the IfATE’s 2019-20 accounts

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has today published its annual accounts for 2019-20, revealing a substantial pay…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
T Levels

Two big exam board winners in third wave of T Levels

The awarding organisations that will develop, deliver and award the six T Levels being rolled out from 2022 are…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Mergers drag down college Ofsted grades

Ofsted inspection results for the college sector at the end of last year fell for the first time in…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Tripling traineeships: Tender to launch next week as clock ticks on £111m boost

A hotly-anticipated application process to widen the provider-base for 19 to 24 traineeships will finally be launched next week….

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Will England take inspiration from Germany’s chambers of commerce?

The government’s forthcoming FE white paper could hand the British Chambers of Commerce key influencing powers over funding and…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Apprentices stuck in limbo as Covid hits functional skills tests

Thousands of apprentices are “stuck in limbo” as awarding bodies struggle to adapt their functional skills assessments in the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Education secretary makes ‘guarantee’ T Levels will be ‘available’ to adults in future

T Levels will be an option for adults of any age to study as part of the government’s new…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Unions call for substantial college staff pay increase following £400m boost

Trade unions have called for a “significant” pay rise for college staff this year, after the government pumped an extra…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon

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