News

Government preparing new ESOL strategy

The government will develop a new strategy to teach English to speakers of other languages (ESOL), which is aimed…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Fears over ‘middle-class grab’ on apprenticeships are valid, minister admits

Fears of a “middle-class grab” on apprenticeships are “valid”, the skills minister has admitted. Anne Milton told a House…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

UCU college strike – dates set for a second wave of action

Dates have been set for a second walk-out by members of the University and College Union at a number…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Chancellor announces £80m to support small businesses with apprentices

There will be an extra £80 million released to help small businesses recruit apprentices, the chancellor has announced in…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

‘Outrageous and unjustifiable’ subcontracting has become a ‘money-maker’, experts tell MPs

The government needs to get a grip on the “outrageous and unjustifiable” subcontracting market which has become a “money-maker”…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
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

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