A major CPD programme for further education teachers will be taken over by the Association of Colleges this summer after the Education and Training Foundation lost the government contract it has held for more than six years. The AoC will take on the renamed technical & vocational subject teaching professional development this summer, seeing off five competitors for the deal worth £20 million over three years. The ETF, which the AoC helped set up, delivered the contract, then called the T Level professional development programme (TLPD), since the initial rollout of T Levels in 2020. The Department for Education renamed the scheme to the ‘technical & vocational subject teaching professional development’ to include forthcoming V Levels and new level 2 qualifications. DfE expects the AoC to develop “significant” new content to support new incoming qualifications, which start rolling out to students from next year. That will include “evidence-based subject-specific and pedagogical training for teachers” as well as industry upskilling and training for leaders on growing their vocational and technical provision. FE staff will have access to free training and in-person activities as well as upskilling sessions delivered by industry and “collaboration networks” to support peer learning. Six bids to run the scheme were submitted in an open tender round earlier this year. Other unsuccessful bidders included Pearson, University Vocational Awards Council, Cognition Education and Matt Hamnett & Associates. The deal is worth nearly £23.1 million, including VAT over three years with an option of a one-year extension. Contracts officially change hands next month, with activity expected to begin from September. David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “We’re delighted to have won the contract. We were really keen to make sure it stayed in the sector and could be delivered with the sector for the sector.” Another blow to the ETF The ETF has delivered the programme since its inception when it was rolled in to support the introduction of T Levels in 2020, receiving close to £76 million from the DfE. The charity’s relationship with the DfE soured in 2022, when it emerged that the foundation had racked up an unexpected surplus from cheaper-than-expected costs during the pandemic. DfE begged the ETF to return up to £7.5 million while the charity’s lawyers argued it only owed £1.5 million. The ETF ultimately agreed to repay £6.2 million to the government, pushing it into a deficit in 2021-22. The charity’s contract was nevertheless extended for two years in 2024, awarding an extra £19.9 million. The programme has recorded over 11,800 engagements from more than 6,300 individuals in the 2025 financial year. Dr Katerina Kolyva, chief executive of ETF, said: “While we are naturally disappointed not to have been selected for the new technical and vocational professional development contract, we are incredibly proud of what ETF and our partners have achieved on the current T Level professional development programme (TLPD), which ends this summer. “Our work has supported tens of thousands of professionals involved in the planning and delivery of T Levels, helping to build confidence, strengthen knowledge and improve practice across the sector. That impact reflects the expertise, commitment and professionalism of our colleagues and partners.” The ETF’s staff headcount has shot up to account for the TLPD contract and its other grant-funded programmes. Numbers shot up from 75 in 2019-20 to 141 in 2020-21. By 2023-24, 176 full-time equivalent staff worked at the charity, dropping to 144 the following year. The drop is likely due to DfE seizing its Taking Teaching Further programme mid-contract from the ETF in March 2023. Kolyva added: “ETF’s mission is bigger than any single contract. As the professional body for the FE and skills workforce, we will continue to drive the development, recognition and professionalism of teachers, trainers, and leaders to continuously improve student and sector outcomes.”