News

Speed read: Highlights from our webinar with Toby Perkins

FE Week was joined by Labour’s shadow minister for apprenticeships and lifelong learning Toby Perkins on Monday for our…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

Low Pay Commission calls on government to better protect apprentices

The government has been urged to take action against recurrent “very high levels” of illegally low apprentice wages. The…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA delays full rollout of digital apprenticeship system to April 2021

The full transition onto the digital apprenticeship system has been delayed by four months, the Education and Skills Funding…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Controversial closure plans to go ahead for college campus

A cash-strapped college group has confirmed it will close one of its rural campuses this summer in the face…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

Back to the drawing board for apprenticeship funding rate reform

The government’s apprenticeships quango has announced it will launch a second funding rate consultation – days before the deadline…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
AEB

AEB funding rules published in draft – but without threatened subcontracting limits

Draft rules for funding the adult education budget in 2020/21 have not included any changes to subcontracting despite the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Ofsted releases reports for inspections pre-Covid – but only the positive ones

Ofsted has begun publishing FE and skills inspection reports again. Four new reports, based on pre-coronavirus visits, appeared on…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Free recording: Latest FE sector response and requirements to coronavirus

FE Week was joined by Labour’s new shadow apprenticeships minister Toby Perkins yesterday for our latest webinar on the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA reveals calculations for the furloughed apprentice wage top-up

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has finally confirmed that the national minimum wage requirement for a furloughed apprentice…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Revealed: 576 ‘crucial’ qualifications assigned the DfE’s £400 funding uplift

Almost 600 qualifications for 16 to 18 year-old students that are “crucial for the Labour market” have been chosen…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Help!: DfE to spend £10m ‘simplifying’ the digital apprenticeship service

A two-year £10 million project to renovate the digital apprenticeship service as it is scaled up is being launched…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Speed read: Highlights from our webinar with Gillian Keegan

FE Week was joined by apprenticeships minister Gillian Keegan on Monday for our latest webinar on the response to…

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