News

Apprenticeship guidance plea despite growing application numbers

Guidance on apprenticeships needs a “no-holds-barred” review, NUS president Toni Pearce has claimed despite official figures indicating application numbers…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Underpaying apprentice bosses face increased name-and-shame threat

Underpaying apprentice bosses will be publicly named and shamed under government plans to make it easier to clamp down…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Firms behind every other English college’s internal audit to become one

Two firms who between them carried out internal audits for nearly 50 per cent of England’s colleges in 2011/12…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Apprenticeships director to step down

England’s apprenticeship boss, David Way, has announced that he is to step down at the end of the month….

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Department for Education warned about FoI response times despite ‘improvements’

The Department for Education (DfE) has been warned about its response times to Freedom of Information requests after it…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Young people’s jobless figures draw union criticism for government

A tiny fall in the number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neets) has failed to…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford


News

Former AoC president takes governor post at college mauled by Ofsted

A former Association of Colleges president has become City College Coventry’s new governors’ chair after a disastrous Ofsted report…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Government’s ‘£11m’ privately-run FE website service could be sold on

The contract to run the government’s FE course directory could be sold on as part of a deal that…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Government appoints FE Commissioner advisers

Four advisers, including a former 157 Group chair and an ex-college finance director, have been appointed to the new…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Short-term apprenticeships fall ‘dramatically’ after government action

The number of apprenticeships lasting less than a year has fallen “dramatically” after they were outlawed over fears about…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Removal of FE teacher qualifications requirement causes sector concern

Sector leaders have expressed “deep concerns” over news FE trainers will no longer need a teacher training qualification from…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Foundation warned of ‘jobs for the boys’ perception over lack of advertising for key roles

Bosses of the FE sector’s new self-improvement body, the Education and Training Foundation, have been warned of “sycophantic nepotism”…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford

Must read

Colleges, Long read

Colleges on the frontline of a divided nation

As social media algorithms fuel intolerance and binary thinking, college staff increasingly find themselves dealing with the fallout. Jessica…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
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