News

National Apprenticeship Awards 2019 open for applications

Entries to this year’s National Apprenticeship Awards are now open, where employers and individuals who champion apprenticeships will be…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

Increase 16-19 funding by ‘significant amount’, Social Mobility Commission urges

The government should raise the funding rate for 16 to 19-year-olds by a “significant amount” in the upcoming spending…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Monthly apprenticeships update: February starts up 16% but down on 2017

Apprenticeship starts for the period August 2018 to February 2019 are up 10 per cent on the previous year…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

DfE has finally found an organisation to inspect the quality of unregulated apprenticeships

The government is expected to announce which regulator will inspect the quality of learning for level 6 and 7…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

New DfE Skills Index shows significant decline since 2012

The overall added-value of the FE and skills system in England has fallen from a baseline of 100 in…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

Apprenticeship pay and satisfaction surveys delayed and incur more costs

Two flagship apprenticeship surveys have had their publication date delayed by six months and will incur additional costs to…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon


News

Careers and Enterprise Company will continue to rely on public cash, admits DfE

The Careers and Enterprise Company will continue to be reliant on government handouts after ministers dropped their ambition for…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted watch: Solid start to the summer term for most providers

The summer term has kicked off on a solid footing with two colleges and one university being graded ‘good’…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

‘Insufficient’ Ofsted monitoring report published for NCG’s private provider

An independent provider that is part of the country’s largest college group has had its first Ofsted monitoring report…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE slammed for refusal to investigate defunct Manchester UTC as paperwork fails to materialise

Auditors were unable to properly scrutinise the finances of a failed University Technical College because important data was missing,…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

Troubled Hull College Group to de-merge one of three colleges

The cash-strapped Hull College Group is to offload one of its three colleges later this year. Harrogate College, which…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

UCU calls on FE Commissioner to consider de-merging London colleges from NCG

Union officials at two London colleges have written to the FE Commissioner requesting that he urgently investigates whether they…

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