News

Coronavirus: College announces two week ‘circuit breaker’

A college has announced plans to close its campus for a two week “circuit breaker” to combat rising coronavirus…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Warning that massive competition for limited traineeship funding will repeat controversial non-levy tender

The traineeship tender is set to be deluged with “in excess of 3,000 bidders”, with the vast majority likely…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE goes soft on apprenticeship public sector reporting rule

The Department for Education looks to have relaxed the requirement for public bodies to publish their progress towards the…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Digital skills bootcamps: What are they and how will they work?

The digital skills bootcamps announced with the prime minister’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee could lead to adult education budget provision…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
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

Must read

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
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