News

Fourth ‘national college’ gets digital skills focus

England’s fourth national college will focus on digital skills and coding, it has been revealed. The National College for…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Morgan rejects AoC manifesto call on A-levels

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has rejected an Association of College (AoC) manifesto call to keep AS-levels linked to A-levels….

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Professor Wolf tells of ‘unease’ at 16-19 GCSE exemption

Study programmes architect Professor Alison Wolf has warned that a Department for Education (DfE) English and maths qualification exemption…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Gazelle departures prompt membership review

Three colleges have revealed plans to leave the Gazelle College Group this month, taking the total number quitting before…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
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

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