FE Week Reporter | FE Week

SFA ‘top-up’ on Esol welcomed — but concern for 2015/16

A Skills Funding Agency (SFA) move to allow “topping-up” on funding for new English for Speakers of Other Languages (Esol) qualifications has been welcomed — but concerns remain about the situation for 2015/16 and beyond. Single funding rates for the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) Esol qualifications had led to fears that providers might be […]

Indies challenged to compete

The independent learning provider (ILP) sector has been laid down the challenge of getting more involved in skills competitions. Stewart Segal, Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ chief executive, said he wanted more of his members involved in events such as WorldSkills following the TeamUK’s success at EuroSkills, collecting three gold and six silver medals […]

Staff get ‘improved’ offer as strike vote ends

Lambeth College staff who went on a five-week strike just before the summer holiday and are considering further industrial action have been presented with “improved” offers over controversial contract changes. University and College Union (UCU) members walked out indefinitely on June 3 in a dispute over new staff contracts introduced on April 1, which the […]

Childcare sector calls for return of Functional Skills as entry option

Childcare qualification providers have called for Functional Skills to be reinstated as entry requirements for early years educator (EYE) qualifications after Skills Minister Nick Boles showed his support for the qualifications. The government announced in February it would only fund EYE apprentices who had already gained at least a grade C in GCSE maths and […]

All aboard for the Skills Show

Plans for the third annual Skills Show have been unveiled, featuring more than 50 hands-on activities, a new tour bus and ‘late show’ preview. Former Dragons’ Den investor Theo Paphitis was on hand at London’s Skyloft to run through the careers advice and have-a-gos that will be on offer alongside the finals of national skills […]

Sixth form colleges record growing numbers

Sixth form colleges have shared their enrolment figures for 2014 after taking part in a joint Association of Colleges (AoC), Sixth Form Colleges’ Association (SFCA) and FE Week enrolment survey. No fewer than 54 sixth form colleges, or 58 per cent of the total, responded to the online survey, which ran for 10 days from […]

Liberal Democrat party conference : Apprentice minimum wage pledge from Business Secretary

Plans to boost apprentices’ pay by more than £1 an-hour have been cautiously welcomed amid concerns the rise could dissuade employers from offering apprenticeships. Business Secretary Vince Cable used his speech to the Liberal Democrat party conference on Monday (October 6) to announce his submission to the Low Pay Commission (LPC), which states that the […]

A four-pronged approach to turning around the fate of Functional Skills

Functional Skills could have been saved from the qualifications scrapheap with Skills Minister Nick Boles having revealed hopes for them to become “legitimate, valid, respected and admired”. Roger Francis looks at how this might be achieved. The government’s decision to change its policy on Functional Skills, which was reported in FE Week, will be warmly […]

From learner to training manager to college — EuroSkills delivers more than just medals

While TeamUK’s impressive haul of medals at EuroSkills steals the headlines, the benefits of competing run much deeper, explains Maureen Evans-Olsen. Winning isn’t everything; but wanting to is, according to Vince Lombardi. The phrase has certainly stuck and looking at the jubilant celebrations that took place at the closing ceremony of EuroSkills Lille 2014, it […]