News

Ofsted slams civil service apprentices scheme for inappropriate management courses

A provider that trains civil servants has been slammed by Ofsted for putting science graduates on apprenticeships that are…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Boss of charity behind the UTC programme to step down

The chief executive of the organisation that is behind the troubled university technical colleges programme is stepping down. Charles…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Government to fund free sanitary products in colleges

The government will fund free sanitary products for all students in colleges and secondary schools from September. Chancellor Philip…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: Apprenticeship employer fees to be halved from April 1 – no joke

The 10-per-cent fee that small businesses must pay when they take on apprentices will be halved from April 1,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Damning Ofsted visit finds provider not knowing who its apprentices are

A training provider has been heavily criticised for not knowing accurately enough who their apprentices are, in an Ofsted…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

Apprenticeship framework certification boss steps down with immediate effect

The managing director of the Federation of Industry Sector Skills and Standards (FISSS) has stepped down with immediate effect,…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon


News

Ofqual rules out tendering to take over apprenticeship quality assurance

Ofqual has ruled itself out of delivering the apprenticeship external quality assurance service for the Institute for Apprenticeships and…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Education that gets out of classrooms and into the community

Six per cent of adults with learning disabilities are in paid employment – something that specialist colleges are working…

Catherine Murray
Catherine Murray
News

Second chair resigns from college group embroiled in financial scandal

The chair of the boards of governors for the troubled Hadlow College and West Kent and Ashford College has…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

DfE department responsible for apprenticeship policy has hardly any apprentices

The division responsible for running and promoting apprenticeships within the Department for Education employs the lowest proportion of apprentices…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

ESFA audits to check apprenticeship price reductions made to account for prior work experience

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has reminded providers to conduct prior learning assessments when taking on apprentices, and…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Team UK selected for WorldSkills 2019 in Kazan

More than 30 of the country’s best and brightest young skilled people have been chosen to represent the UK…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
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