News

PM praises rise in apprenticeship quality despite Ofsted’s warning of a decline

The prime minister has claimed that apprenticeships quality has risen since the introduction of the levy, despite Ofsted finding…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Awarding organisations launch T-level legal challenge in pre-action letter to DfE

Battle lines have officially been drawn by the Federation of Awarding Bodies, after it outlined its intention to launch…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE announces first regional ‘skills deal’

The West Midlands has become the first combined authority to strike a “skills deal” with the Department for Education,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

8 things we learned from skills minister’s select committee grilling

A feisty commons education select committee meeting, held this morning, saw Anne Milton quizzed on a number of pressing…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Halfon pleads for nursing apprenticeships to be ‘special case’ with levy spending

The education select committee chair has pleaded for nursing apprenticeships to be made a “special case” with flexibility over…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Milton leaves MPs ‘staggered’ by admitting she wouldn’t encourage her children to study first T-levels

The skills minister is expecting a “slow take-up” when T-levels are launched, and admitted that as a parent she…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Learndirect Apprenticeship staff and assets transferred to PeoplePlus for nominal fee

The new owner of Learndirect’s apprenticeship division has transferred all assets, in a hastily arranged deal, to the company that…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Training for hundreds of glass industry apprentices branded ‘inadequate’

UPDATE: The government has confirmed that the Vocational College has now “ceased training”. “The DfE has appointed an administrator…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Disappointment at lack of concrete pay offer, as AoC proposes package dependent on funding rise

Disappointment has been expressed at the lack of a concrete offer following pay talks with the Association of Colleges,…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

August is key merger month amid 17 partnerships for 2018

A partnership that was bitterly opposed by a local council, and the first university-college link-up in six years, are…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Minimum 2-month notice period for reduced apprenticeship funding rates

Apprenticeship funding bands currently under review by the Institute for Apprenticeships will be given a minimum two-month notice period…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted watch: Three ‘new’ apprenticeship providers make reasonable progress

Three ‘new’ apprenticeship providers have been found to be making ‘reasonable progress’ in all areas, while an adult and…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke

Must read

16-19

Curriculum review: ‘Strengthen’ resit accountability and reduce T Level assessment burden

Review recommends already-announced V Levels, level 2 pathways and new pre-GCSE English and maths quals

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
News

Case dismissed: Marples loses High Court claim against DfE

A judge has dismissed a multi-million-pound claim brought by former training boss Peter Marples and his family against the…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
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