News Top DfE official tells PAC of difficult decisions to avoid apprenticeship levy overspend The Department for Education’s top civil servant has admitted “hard choices” will need to be made in the face… Billy Camden 7y Billy Camden 7y News HMRC investigations into levy underpayments more than doubles in a year The number of HMRC investigations into the underpayment of the apprenticeship levy at big employers has more than doubled… Billy Camden 7y Billy Camden 7y News Ofsted watch: Private provider straight in with grade one It’s been a week of mainly highs for FE as one provider was rated ‘outstanding’ in its first ever… Fraser Whieldon 7y Fraser Whieldon 7y News ‘Urgent actions’ needed at two cash-strapped colleges, FE Commissioner warns Two colleges in severe financial trouble have been told by the FE Commssioner and skills minister that “urgent actions”… Billy Camden 7y Billy Camden 7y News Exclusive Employers having control over UK skills policy is ‘rhetoric, not reality’ The government should move away from its “unhelpful” mantra of “employers in the driving seat” in UK skills policy… Jessica Fino 7y Jessica Fino 7y News Public Accounts Committee to quiz top civil servants from DfE, ESFA and IfATE An influential House of Commons committee will grill officials on the future affordability of the apprenticeships programme on Monday…. Jessica Fino 7y Jessica Fino 7y News Exclusive The truth behind plans to cull 300 staff at England’s largest college group England’s largest college group this week announced plans to slash up to 300 jobs across its two training providers… Billy Camden 7y Billy Camden 7y News Exclusive Brooklands principal resigns amid investigation into mysterious £16m subcontractor The principal and chief executive of a college that gave £16.5 million over the last three years to a… Billy Camden 7y Billy Camden 7y News Apprenticeship quango launches Quality Strategy with aspiration that no apprentice starts without an assessment body Employers should have access to at least one end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) before apprentices start their programme, the body… Jessica Fino 7y Jessica Fino 7y News Exclusive ESFA faces legal action following controversial European Social Fund tender A training provider is launching legal action against the Education and Skills Funding Agency following an allegedly botched European… Billy Camden 7y Billy Camden 7y News Revealed: The 13 colleges to share £1.8m strategic improvement funding Thirteen more colleges will receive a total of £1.8 million in grants through a fund designed to support struggling… Billy Camden 7y Billy Camden 7y News Stop levy funding for all level 6 and 7 apprenticeships, demands training providers All level six and seven apprenticeships, including those with integrated degrees, should be removed from the scope of levy… Fraser Whieldon 7y Fraser Whieldon 7y Newer 1 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 830 Older Must read Skills reform Long read New law to bar ‘unsuitable’ FE leaders among skills white paper reforms The government’s post-16 strategy has finally been unveiled Billy Camden 3d Billy Camden and Shane Chowen 3d Qualifications Exclusive 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 3w Shane Chowen 3w Politics, Skills reform Exclusive DWP will take over apprenticeships, minister confirms Shifting adult skills and apprenticeships policy will give “bigger emphasis on skills”, Jacqui Smith claims Anviksha Patel 1mo Anviksha Patel 1mo Next 3 stories Colleges, Long read 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 3mo Jessica Hill 3mo 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 4mo Jessica Hill 4mo Long read, Prison education Long read 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 5mo Jessica Hill 5mo