News

Nottingham colleges merger to create 40,000-learner college following FE commissioner review

Governors at New College Nottingham (NCN) and Central College Nottingham (CCN) have voted to merge the two institutions following…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

New teachers’ gender pay gap revealed by ETF research

Female teachers joining the sector are likely to get paid significantly less than their male counterparts, a study by…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Government responds to Lords’ digital report

The government has committed to report back on its progress in improving digital skills next year in its response…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Study of colleges shows ‘encouraging’ texts dramatically cut dropout rates

A study of three colleges has shown that sending regular encouraging text messages to learners can dramatically cut dropout…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

New Apprenticeship Delivery Board announced

A new Apprenticeship Delivery Board (ADB) is set to advise the government on how to reach its target of…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

26 new Trailblazer groups announced

Film and TV, ceramics, veterinary nursing, and motorcycle manufacturing are among the industries that will be covered by 26…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter


News

Eight things we learned from the Skills Funding Agency’s annual accounts

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has released its annual accounts and report for 2014/15, so we had a comb…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Dates announced for next year’s National Apprenticeship Week

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) will run next year from March 14 to 18. The dates for the ninth annual…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Five colleges announce ‘collaboration’ plans after pioneering area review

Five FE and sixth form colleges facing “significant financial challenges” are “actively considering” collaboration plans, following a pioneering review…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Boles tasks Education and Training Foundation with functional skills ‘reform programme’

The Education and Training Foundation has been asked to draw up a “programme of reform” for functional skills qualifications,…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Additional adult skills cuts account for just 13 per cent of required BIS savings

Further cuts to college budgets will account for just 13 per cent of extra savings needed at the Department…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

BIS committee announces inquiry into government Productivity Plan

The government’s Productivity Plan will be the first focus of the new business, innovation and skills (BIS) select committee,…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter

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