Skills reform

What happened to college business centres?

College business centres featured as a key policy pledge in the 2021 skills for jobs white paper, as ministers…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges, Teacher training

‘Shocking’ teacher training proposals could force provider closures

DfE also criticised for questioning ‘quality and value for money’ at private provider

Joshua Stein
Joshua Stein
Teacher training

DfE takes control of FE teacher training scheme mid-round

Taking Teaching Further programme brought in-house after one year into two-year scheme

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Prison education

Prison education: Treasury drags heels on pension guarantee

Private providers could pay ‘considerably less’ in pension contributions under new contract, unions warn

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
News

Marples vs DfE trial set for 2025

DfE ordered to release ‘key’ evidence related to sales of other providers

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship levy turns into Treasury ‘cash cow’

Transparency demands mount amid skills crisis

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


Colleges, Higher education

1 in 3 colleges challenge TEF rating

Teaching excellence framework results revealed for first time since 2019

Joshua Stein
Joshua Stein
News

Four things we learned from the Employer Skills Survey 2022

Government mass survey of employers finds training investment continuing to ‘flatline’

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Apprenticeships, Higher education

£40m fund launched to fix ‘market failures’ in degree apprenticeships

Unlike previous funds, providers new to degree apprenticeships can bid for a slice

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
News

Pepe Di’Iasio confirmed as ASCL’s next general secretary

He will replace Geoff Barton next April after no other candidates were nominated to oppose him

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Apprenticeships

DfE records £96m apprenticeship underspend in 2022-23

Just 4% of the total budget was handed back to Treasury

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges

DfE to axe private providers from pre-service FE teacher training

Reforms announced amid ‘quality and value for money’ concerns

Joshua Stein
Joshua Stein

Must read

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
Apprenticeships

Entrepreneur chased for millions after apprenticeship collapse

ESFA uncovers ‘fake’ taxi apprentices as liquidator reveals intercompany payments days after firm decided to shut

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education

Fury as DfE cuts adult education budgets

Combined authorities told to expect reductions in ‘already deeply diminished’ adult skills funding

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen