News

Making sense of the 20% off-the-job apprenticeship funding rule

One of the most important apprenticeship funding rules from May is the requirement that every apprentice “spends at least 20…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Minister wrongly claims there are no grade four providers on new apprenticeships register

The written response from apprenticeships minister Robert Halfon to an open letter, complaining about the Register of Apprenticeship Training…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Unsuccessful applicants can reapply for apprenticeships register… but deadline is tight

Providers that feel aggrieved because they did not make it onto the new Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers will…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Damning Ofsted report that caused downfall of huge provider published

The damning Ofsted report that caused the downfall of huge apprenticeship training provider First4Skills has now been published. The…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

SFA apprenticeship funding rules strengthened to deter employer kick-backs

The apprenticeship funding rules, which come into force from May, have now been updated by the SFA to deter employer kick-backs….

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

More than half of apprenticeship standards still have no assessor

Too many uncertainties in the new apprenticeship system is fuelling the acute lack of assessment organisations for new standards,…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson


News

Finance director blamed in new FE commissioner report

A former finance director has been singled out as the “root cause” of a major London college’s financial failings,…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Exclusive: New Ofsted chief ‘worried’ about apprenticeship register

The new chief inspector at Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, has spoken to FE Week of her concern following publication of…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Less than 50 per cent of inspected UTCs ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’

Less than half of the university technical colleges visited by Ofsted have received ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ grades, exclusive FE…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

No funded qualifications for over a third of approved standards

More than a third of the apprenticeship standards that the government has deemed ready for delivery involve no funded…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Major provider chaired by ex-SFA boss calls in administrators

A major training provider whose chair was the first chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency has gone into…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Institute for Apprenticeships most popular for external quality assurance

The Institute for Apprenticeships is the most popular choice for external quality assurance for apprenticeship standards – even though…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson

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