News

CBI report reveals basic skills deficit

Employers remain dissatisfied with school and college leavers’ basic skills according to a report by CBI. Around a third…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

New inspection framework

Ofsted have released the new Common Inspection Framework as part of the Handbook for the inspection for further education…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Richard Review interview

Entrepreneur Doug Richard is to lead an independent review into the future of the apprenticeship programme in England. The…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Concern over VAT on FE loans

Learners taking out an FE loan next year could be forced to pay 20 per cent VAT if they…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Queen’s honour’s list recognises peoples’ work with WorldSkills

For the first time the Queen’s birthday honour’s list has recognised people’s work with WorldSkills International. Seven people received…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Principal of Barnfield College receives knighthood

Peter Birkett, Principal of Barnfield College, has been awarded a knighthood in the Queens Honours List, announced today. He…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter


News

BIS publishes final impact assessment reports for FE loans

The final impact assessment and equality impact assessment reports have been published by the Department for Business, Innovation and…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

SFA £2.3m website hardly used

The FE Choices website has been viewed by 6,230 people since it launched in January, figures obtained by FE…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Functional Skills funded for 38 per cent less

Providers delivering in the workplace will receive almost 40 per cent less funding when they are forced to switch…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

An ‘outrageous’ mace-use of funds

Bradford College has stood by its decision to spend £24,000 on a decorative mace for its graduation ceremonies. The…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Subcontractor hits out at “rip off” management fee

The head of a subcontractor has called the high management fees used by some FE colleges a “rip off”….

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

RTT Group has £3.3m contract terminated

Real-Time Training Ltd, which trades under the name RTT Group, has had its £3.3m contract with the Skills Funding…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter

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