FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Workload fears for new SFA boss

Concern has been raised about the workload of Education Funding Agency (SFA) chief executive Peter Lauener after the same role at the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) was added to his remit. Mr Lauener took up the additional role on Monday (November 3) and Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt told FE Week sister newspaper Academies Week: […]

Former learners compete for champion title

One of these three former learners will be crowned apprentice champion of the year at the Skills Show in Birmingham on Thursday (November 13). Ashley Terron, Kate Mooney and Michael Johnson are all contenders to be recognised as the person who has made the biggest contribution to promoting apprenticeships at the National Apprenticeship Awards. All […]

Cable reveals apprentice reform ‘difficulty’

Business Secretary Vince Cable has admitted that continuing with controversial plans to demand employer cash contributions for apprenticeships would be “difficult”. In an exclusive interview with FE Week following an Industry Apprentice Council (IAC) reception at the House of Commons on Tuesday, Dr Cable indicated it was unlikely the reforms would go ahead as currently […]

Concern over college bonus despite ‘flaws’

An influential MP has complained that Newcastle College Group (NCG) could still receive government bonus payments despite being set to lose a contract to find work for the long-term unemployed. The Work Programme was launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) three years ago for private, public or voluntary organisations to help people […]

Carole Stott, director and chair, Association of Colleges

In the office of Carole Stott’s mentor and university lecturer Gerard Boynton, there was a sign hanging up that read: “All we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” It is a motto that Stott, now chair of Skills Show organisers Find a Future, director and chair of the Association […]

The indy scene

Managing a national training company brings a great deal of variety to my daily workload. However, this time of the year many of my hours are spent working on our exhibition stands at the various trade shows we attend. So in the past few weeks I’ve been at Earls Court for the Restaurant Show, Olympia […]

What is the safeguarding duty and what happens if providers get it wrong?

Ofsted inspectors recently gave a 16 to 19 independent learning provider an inadequate rating having discovered it failing to meet its statutory requirements on safeguarding learners. Geraldine Swanton explains the safeguarding learners issue. A positive duty to promote and safeguard the welfare of children was imposed on FE colleges and schools by the Education Act […]

Level four FE loans — whither policy now?

The most recent government release on FE loans indicated that the number of applications from learners aiming to study at level four was being hit. Mike Farmer explains what this might mean for the sector. There has been plenty of analysis of the impact of 24+ Advanced Learning Loans, but one aspect does not appear […]

Edition 117: Dr Jan Edrich, Tony Lau-Walker and Lawrence Vincent

Former Association of South East Colleges (AOSEC) chief executive Dr Jan Edrich has been appointed principal at Hampshire’s Eastleigh College. She takes over from Tony Lau-Walker CBE who retired after 17 years at the college — and two years after leading it to an Ofsted outstanding grade. Dr Edrich has worked at the college as […]