News

Heseltine questions funding agency’s future

A wide-ranging report from the Tory grandee Lord Heseltine (right) questions the role of the Skills Funding Agency, instead…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

New courses bypass the regulator

The government has allowed new adult English and maths qualifications to be funded without the usual approval of an…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Apprenticeship highs and lows

Apprentice numbers in engineering and construction have plummeted while management apprenticeships have rocketed 45 per cent. Engineering, based on…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

New report critical of government’s education divide

The government’s departmental split over education responsibility has been branded “damaging and artificial” in a new report from the…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Lead provider that had £3.3m of Skills Funding Agency cash ‘ceases trading’

An Essex-based lead provider that was allocated nearly £2m of Skills Funding Agency cash last academic year has ceased…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Subcontracting probe uncovers ‘poor value for money’ management fees

An Ofsted probe into subcontracting has uncovered lead contractors charging management fees “as a way of generating income for…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter


News

FE Guild go ahead for Association of Colleges

The Association of Colleges (AoC) has won government approval to “take forward” its proposals for an FE Guild. The…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Elmfield Training dishes out cash to Morrisons

The provider behind the UK’s biggest apprenticeship programme has defended handing over taxpayers’ cash to the firm whose staff…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Dozens of providers exempt from rule

Forty providers are exempt from funding rules that ban introductory apprenticeships where more than 10 per cent of learners…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Job losses as Skillsfinder UK Training goes in to administration

A national training provider with nearly £2.5m of contracts last year has gone into administration with the loss of…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Sharp criticism of ‘limited flexibility’ in the Innovation Code

Government measures to help colleges respond to local employment and skills needs have lost the “spirit” of the report…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Review of FE teacher qualifications launched

Further education leaders have told of their concerns about new proposals for industry teacher training. A review of teacher…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter

Must read

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
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