News

The National Retraining Scheme ‘should not be run by employers’

Employers should not be handed the keys to the National Retraining Scheme if the government is serious about supporting…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

95% of apprenticeships agreed at full cap price, despite negotiation ‘experiment’

The government should drop its “experiment” with negotiated apprenticeship prices, after it emerged that almost every single one is…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Over two thirds of UTCs rated less than ‘good’ in the last year

More than two thirds of the university technical colleges visited by Ofsted in the last year received ratings that…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Bolton pilots new college-university merger model

A college is joining a university using an “innovative” new merger model that’s acting as a pilot for future…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Government departments falling short on public sector apprenticeships target

Widespread failure has been exposed across Whitehall with hitting the government’s own target for apprentices employed by public bodies….

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Ofsted watch: A week of contrasts in apprenticeship provision

National Apprenticeship Week has proved to be a time of contrasting grades for this type of provision – with…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke


News

Barnfield College suspends its recruitment of apprentices

Barnfield College has suspended its recruitment of new apprentices, after it received an ‘inadequate’ rating for this provision from…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Milton not budging on 20% off-the-job training rule

The 20-per-cent off-the-job training rule is the biggest barrier to apprenticeship recruitment according to an FE Week survey –…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Thirteen providers added to RoATP after appeals

Thirteen organisations, including a Welsh college and the furniture retail giant DFS, have been unexpectedly added to the register…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA temp staff jeopardised almost £8m of non-levy cash

Nine training providers nearly missed out on almost £8 million of non-levy funding because officials mismarked their bids in…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

NOCN Group taking over One Awards

NOCN Group is taking over awarding organisation One Awards, which specialises in access to higher education, FE Week can…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Government cashes in on levy brokerage

Providers training apprentices for the civil service will be subject to a controversial new brokerage charge from the top…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord

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