FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Stephen Wright, CEO, Federation of Awarding Bodies

Marketing a brick is no easy task. “It’s not one of those things where there’s more than meets the eye — it’s a brick. You quickly run out of superlatives for the latest brick,” says Stephen Wright, who landed an early 1980s job in marketing with a brick and tarmac company fresh from a business […]

Keeping the Feltag momentum going

The new academic year brings new pressures and priorities — and learning technology must remain foremost among these, says Bob Harrison. The last Becta (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) research in 2010/11 suggested that only 30 per cent of FE providers were using technology effectively for teaching/learning/assessment and management. The 2012 Association of Colleges […]

Phones 4u collapse leaves learners in dark

More than 800 apprentices were today in the dark over their qualifications and job future after Skills Funding Agency (SFA) lead contractor Phones 4u plunged into administration. The Staffordshire-based mobile phone retailer was placed into the hands of administrators PwC on Monday (September 15) after network operator EE joined Vodafone in cutting ties with the […]

Taking Indian involvement ‘to the next level’

Dame Asha Khemka explains what was behind her recent visit to India, and why colleges should renew efforts to have a stake in its skills development. It was an honour to be one of five college principals that joined Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s 40-strong trade delegation to India to explore opportunities presented by the […]

EXCLUSIVE: UTCs running at 10 per cent full as enrolment plummets

A number of University Technical Colleges (UTCs) were running at around 10 per cent capacity last academic year — while the overall enrolment figure plummeted to just 30 per cent, FE Week can reveal. Figures, supplied to FE Week under the Freedom of Information Act, indicate there was a total capacity of around 9,500 places […]

College wins second round in VAT fight – third round next

Hopes of a multi-million pound VAT rebate for principals have been boosted by a Hampshire college’s second legal win against the taxman over a training restaurant — but a third courtroom battle is on the cards, FE Week can reveal. Brockenhurst College was awarded around £55,000 in February after it was found the supplies for […]

IfL JOBS AT RISK

The future of more than a dozen Institute for Learning (IfL) jobs was today looking uncertain as it prepares to transfer assets to the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) before closing. A spokesperson for the IfL told FE Week that there was no guarantee that any of its 15 workers would keep their jobs following […]

Tributes to ‘exceptional’ late principal Paul Head

A London college principal described as “exceptional” and “outstanding” has died after a long illness. FE sector leaders have paid tribute to Paul Head (pictured), who had been principal of the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London since 2009, and its predecessor, the College of North East London, since 2002. According to the […]

Student services leader criticises DfE over ‘costly’ handling of FE free meal top-ups

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has felt the full force of college student service leaders’ frustration over her department’s handling of FE free meals top-up rules. Polly Harrow, chair of the National Association for Managers of Student Services (NAMSS), has written a powerful email (copy of email below) to Ms Morgan outlining how a Department for […]