News

Small employers finally invited onto the apprenticeships system – but only those already accessing non-levy funding

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has officially begun inviting non-levy employers and providers to test its digital apprenticeship…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

IfA to ‘optimise’ apprenticeship EQA system

The Institute for Apprenticeships has called for the assistance of the government’s exams and HE watchdogs in devising an…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

No mega-merger for Cornwall College after securing £30m bailout

Cash-strapped Cornwall College Group has secured a £30 million government bailout to drive forward its “fresh start” business plan,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

St Helens College handed financial health warning

St Helens College has been served a financial health notice to improve by the Education and Skills Funding Agency….

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Sixth form college retains its grade one after 12-year respite

A sixth form college in Merseyside has become the first SFC to score a grade one Ofsted rating in…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

Huge adult education budget procurement underspend by colleges

Colleges underspent their original funding allocations awarded through the controversial 2017-18 adult education budget (AEB) procurement by a huge…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Bank forced to gift millions to college

Government officials forced a major bank to halve a £40 million unsecured loan after threatening to put a college…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

AoC president faces challenger for the top job

Never mind the race to become prime minister, the race to elect the next president of the Association of…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

College starved of cash shuts award winning training restaurant

A college has been forced to shut the doors of its prestigious restaurant, blaming years of government cuts to…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

PM frontrunner pledges greater investment in ‘our amazing FE colleges’

Conservative leadership favourite Boris Johnson has said he would “do more to fund our amazing FE colleges” if he…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Hinds ‘pleased’ with level 6 and 7 inspection approach but OfS can’t say what it is

The Office for Students can’t say how it will assess level 6 and 7 apprenticeships delivered at non-registered HE…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Guns, machetes and iron bars: Why Unison wants college staff trained

A union has demanded college staff be trained in how to deal with weapons-related incidents, after workers from campuses…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon

Must read

Skills reform

New law to bar ‘unsuitable’ FE leaders among skills white paper reforms

The government’s post-16 strategy has finally been unveiled

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Shane Chowen
Qualifications

Revealed: V Levels incoming as axe looms for BTECs

New qualifications set to launch as ‘third route’ between A-levels and T Levels

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Politics, Skills reform

DWP will take over apprenticeships, minister confirms

Shifting adult skills and apprenticeships policy will give “bigger emphasis on skills”, Jacqui Smith claims

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges, Long read

Colleges on the frontline of a divided nation

As social media algorithms fuel intolerance and binary thinking, college staff increasingly find themselves dealing with the fallout. Jessica…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Colleges, Long read

Alun Francis, chair of the Social Mobility Commission

Deprived areas need vision – not victimhood – to level up, and Social Mobility Commission chair Alun Francis is…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
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