News

Six MPs stand for election as education committee chair

Six Conservative MPs, including three former education ministers, have been nominated to stand for election to chair the House…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Assessment organisations still lacking for over 1,300 apprentices

At least 1,300 apprentices are still studying without an apprentice assessment organisation in place, FE Week can reveal. The…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Most eligible employers not yet on levy system

Less than half of the employers eligible to register on the government’s apprenticeship system had done so by the…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Investigates: Are T-level plans in trouble?

– Greening begs big business for help with “substantive” work placements, while DfE refuses to commit to original plan for…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Milton visits first FE college since becoming minister

A college in the midst of completing a three-way merger was chosen by Anne Milton as her first FE…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Iraqi refugee turned biomedical scientist crowned BTEC student of the year

An “inspirational” refugee student from Salford City College has been crowned ‘BTEC student of the year’ at a prestigious…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Employers already experiencing work placement ‘fatigue’, DfE commissioned research reveals

Research commissioned by the Department for Education has found that employers may already be experiencing work placement ‘fatigue’ –…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

BREAKING: official figures show huge increase in apprenticeship starts in month before reforms kicked-in

Apprenticeship start rocketed in the months before May when mandatory cash contributions from employers kicked in, the latest Department for…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Greening: T-Levels will ‘create an army of skilled young people for British business’

Education secretary Justine Greening will today plead with businesses to help develop and deliver T-Levels, as part of an overhaul…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Top skills civil servant talks tough on apprenticeship reforms

The major recent reforms to the UK’s apprenticeship system are still at a very early stage, so the talk…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Exclusive: Halfon to run for education select committee chair

Former skills minister, Robert Halfon, is to stand for election to chair the House of Commons Select Committee for education,…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Ofsted survey tools used by only 2% of learners

Two Trip Adviser-style tools for rating providers during inspections which cost Ofsted just over £90,000 to develop receive responses…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
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