Colleges

College told to consider merger after pricey subcontracting fiasco

Leaders also launch legal action against partners amid ‘significant’ ESFA clawback

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education, Devolution, Politics

Local elections: What mayoral hopefuls have to say on skills

Elections are set to take place on May 2

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
DfE

Recognise young carers on the ILR to better support their needs, DfE urged

Calls amplify for ILR data field for young carers to close ‘gaping hole’ in data collection

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Ofsted

‘Inadequate’ care provider accuses Ofsted of ‘overlooking’ sector crisis

Inspectors say too many apprentices miss their planned end date as they cover extra shifts instead of training

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Employment

DWP slammed for keeping revived training scheme outcomes a secret

SWAPs have had 330,000 participants since it was re-launched in 2020

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Ofsted

North Yorkshire college downgraded following leadership ‘turbulence’

Craven College was led amost entirely by a team of interim senior managers

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen


Apprenticeships

MoJ’s prison service U-turns on mandatory apprenticeships

Training requirements ‘put strain’ on prison safety, HMPPS says as thousands of custody officers drop out

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education

First Holex CEO revealed

Caroline McDonald will assume the position of the membership body’s first chief executive from August

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
News

DfE mistakenly gives university intervention powers to FE Commissioner

New policy doc to be retracted after accidentally expanding FECs remit into HE

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Ofsted

Ofsted downgrades large Birmingham college to ‘requires improvement’

Inspectors criticise low achievement rates and poor attendance at SCCB

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Pay

College awards ‘incredible’ pay rise of up to 12.8%

Myerscough College staff won a 12.8 per cent pay rise – the largest this year

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Higher education

Delayed: Lifelong learning entitlement pushed back to 2026

LLE introduction pushed back to test new systems for smaller cohort of learners

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen

Must read

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
Adult education

Fury as DfE cuts adult education budgets

Combined authorities told to expect reductions in ‘already deeply diminished’ adult skills funding

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen