A major CPD programme for FE teachers will be run by the Association of Colleges after the Education and Training Foundation lost the government contract it had held for more than six years. The AoC will take on the renamed technical and vocational subject teaching professional development this summer, after it beat five competitors for the deal worth £20 million over three years. The ETF, which the AoC helped set up, had delivered the contract – then called the T Level professional development programme – since the launch of T Levels in 2020. The Department for Education renamed the scheme to include forthcoming V Levels and new level 2 qualifications. The DfE expects the AoC to develop “significant” new content to support the incoming qualifications, which begin next year. This will include “evidence-based subject-specific and pedagogical training for teachers”, plus 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. Bids bids to run the scheme were submitted in an open tender round earlier this year. The other unsuccessful bidders were Pearson, University Vocational Awards Council, Cognition Education and Avencera (formerly Matt Hamnett & Associates). The deal is worth nearly £23.1 million 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.” DfE fallout The ETF’s delivery of the programme had earned it close to £76 million from the DfE. The charity’s relationship with the DfE soured in 2022 when it emerged the foundation had racked up an unexpected surplus from lower-than-expected costs during the pandemic. The DfE requested the ETF 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, pushing it into a deficit in 2021-22. The charity’s contract was nevertheless extended for two years in 2024, and it was awarded an extra £19.9 million. The programme 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, 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. That impact reflects the expertise, commitment and professionalism of our colleagues and partners.” The ETF’s staff headcount shot up to account for the TLPD contract and its other grant-funded programmes. Numbers went from 75 in 2019-20 to 141 in 2020-21. By 2023-24, full-time equivalent staff numbered 176 at the charity, dropping to 144 the following year. That drop was likely due to the DfE seizing its Taking Teaching Further programme from the ETF mid-contract 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.”