News

Just three new recruits for chartered status in six months

The Chartered Institution for FE has recruited just one new college and two independent training providers in the last…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Lib Dems pledge to double businesses that hire apprentices

A pledge to double the number of businesses that hire apprentices has been announced by the Liberal Democrats, ahead…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Subsidised apprentice travel plan falls off Labour manifesto

A long-term pledge to cover the cost of apprentice travel has not made it into Labour’s final general election…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Colleges scrap merger plans less than 3 months after announced

Two colleges have scrapped merger plans less than three months after they were announced. Stanmore College and West Hertfordshire…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Breaking: Labour manifesto plans for FE and skills unveiled

Labour has unveiled its plans for the future of FE and skills in its official general election manifesto just…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Pay cut row at struggling north east college

Staff are understood to be facing up to 10 per cent pay cuts at a north east college with…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord


News

C&G Group buys apprenticeship agency in effort to corner nuclear industry

The nation’s largest training provider to the UK civil nuclear industry has been bought out by the City &…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Colleges not on apprenticeships’ register still advertising vacancies

High-profile colleges that failed to get onto the government’s new register of apprenticeship training providers the first time round…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Long-distance merger cleared despite council concerns

A controversial long-distance merger has been signed off by college governors, despite grave concerns from a London borough council….

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Costs in question after Labour apprentice pledge

The financial implications of Labour’s pledge to cover apprentices’ travel costs have been called into question, after the Conservatives…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Ofsted watch: Three colleges slide to grade three

Three colleges dropped from Ofsted ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ this week, in a bad week for FE. The only…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Allocations shock: ESFA ‘mistake’ sees massive firms listed as small

The allocations “horror show” has got even more alarming, after FE Week found the government has been wrongly categorising…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
Bootcamps, Skills bootcamps

Coding firm caught charging students for free bootcamps

Ed tech provider ‘regretful’ after complaints and promises full refunds as bosses try to sue DfE over non-payments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Frances Read
Apprenticeships

Entrepreneur chased for millions after apprenticeship collapse

ESFA uncovers ‘fake’ taxi apprentices as liquidator reveals intercompany payments days after firm decided to shut

Billy Camden
Billy Camden