News

Cable acts on apprentice rule after legal threat

A “five-year rule” forcing early years apprentices to re-sit for qualifications they already had could be scrapped after a…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Science museum hosts FE and skills technology talk

Google glasses, YouTube and digital reward badges were all hot topics at a learning technology discussion group for FE…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Apprentice training clash after NI break for bosses

Unions and business leaders have clashed over the issue of investment in training after Chancellor George Osborne announced the…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Red tape reduction efforts need ‘democratic scrutiny’

The failure of a government plan to make any major dent in £300m of FE and skills sector red…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Principal of cash-strapped college backs ‘look at finances’ plea for Ofsted

The principal of a college recovering from financial difficulties has backed FE Commissioner Dr David Collins in his view…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Employers shamed for underpaying workers — including apprentices

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has named and shamed 25 employers for failing to pay the…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter


News

Bank of BIS launches emergency college loans

General FE colleges turned away by the banks and facing financial meltdown have been thrown a possible lifeline with…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

BIS plan to cut £300m FE and skills red tape shaves just 2 pc off costs for providers, audit office finds

A government plan to reduce £300m of FE and skill bureaucracy has come under fire from Public Accounts Committee…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Chancellor hands employers National Insurance break for apprentices aged 24 and below and promises £20m for careers advice

Chancellor George Osborne today announced that employers will no longer have to pay national insurance contributions (NIC) on apprentices aged…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Second wave of maths upskilling courses planned for FE teachers

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) will run a second wave of training courses aimed at increasing the number…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Finanacial problems ‘typical’ says principal ordered to improve

The principal of a financially-troubled sixth form college ordered by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) to improve has hit…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Ofsted’s new CIF plans under three-point inspection

Reading the preamble to Ofsted’s Better inspection for all consultation suggests a degree of reflection from Chief Inspector Sir…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter

Must read

Colleges, Long read

Resilient Ricketts: How Brooklands was saved from going broke

The story of a college’s fight for survival after a subcontracting scandal left it on the brink of insolvency

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Politics

Exit interview: Why Robert Halfon quit ‘the best job in government’

Halfon tells FE Week he ‘did all he could’ after leaving skills minister role

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Apprenticeships

National apprenticeship achievement rate rises to 54%

Slight increase leaves sector way off government target

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Shane Chowen
Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship growth pilot cash would reach just 15 ITPs

Providers need to start at least 15 apprentices on the chosen standards to be eligible for extra funding

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Apprenticeships

Treasury announces £3k top-up for 13 ‘growth sector’ apprenticeships

Training providers will have to deliver a minimum number of starts to access the cash

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Apprenticeships, Politics

DfE set to surrender £60m apprenticeship cash in 2023-24

Just 2% of total ring-fenced budget expected to be handed back to Treasury

Billy Camden
Billy Camden