FE Week Reporter | FE Week

‘Quantity over quality’ warning over Labour apprenticeship pledges

Ed Miliband’s apprenticeship pledges should be welcomed, but risk prioritising quantity over quality, FE sector leaders have warned. Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Stewart Segal and 157 Group executive director Lynne Sedgmore both cautiously welcomed the pledges delivered in Mr Miliband’s keynote speech to the Labour Party conference, but raised concerns about […]

Edition 111: David Kogan, Ruth Duston and Marcus Kingwell

Westminster Kingsway College has appointed business and regeneration expert Ruth Duston as its new governors’ chair. She takes up post next month with the retirement of six-year chair David Kogan, who is principal of the Wasserman Media Group based in London’s Global Media Rights division. Ms Duston is currently chief executive of a number of […]

Apprenticeships first among Miliband’s goals for Labour in power

Apprenticeships will top a list of six goals to be outlined at the Labour conference by party leader Ed Miliband today. Making the number of school-leavers becoming apprentices equal to the number who go on to university comes first among Mr Miliband’s pledges should Labour win power next year. His plans for increased apprenticeship numbers, to […]

Manifesto Survey 2014

Improved technical education one of Labour’s top three campaign priorities – Hunt

Improving technical education is one of three key campaign priorities for Labour, Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt has announced. Addressing the Labour Party conference in Manchester, Mr Hunt outlined the three most important issues as his party heads into its general election campaign, including childcare reform, a qualified teacher in every classroom and efforts to […]

Shadow Business Secretary Umunna offers apprenticeship investment pledge

Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna today told of his commitment to investment in apprenticeships and new technical degrees. In his address to the Labour Party conference in Manchester, Mr Umunna said one of his biggest priorities was to see “apprenticeships quadrupled” if his party were to win next year’s General Election, and added that plans […]

Governors urged to be ‘braver and trust your instincts’ over classroom quality

Governors should “be a bit braver” when challenging colleges on teaching and learning, according to former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills chief Dr Sue Pember. The ex-head of FE and skills investment and performance at BIS, who is now a governance adviser at the Association of Colleges (AoC), said governors should trust their instincts […]

Bentley gears up for car launch with new training base

Bentley Motors has opened a manufacturing training base at South Cheshire College. The new training facility, which has two classrooms fitted out for academic and practical work, will prepare level three apprentices to help build the luxury car maker’s new sport utility vehicle set to be unveiled in two years. The first 40 apprentices, who […]

Making young women part of the skills ‘equation’

The number of young women considered not in education, employment or training (Neet) is 29 per cent higher than it is for young men. Dr Carole Easton considers why this is the case and what it means for the skills agenda. Young women want to work, but hundreds of thousands are stuck not earning […]