FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Mary Bousted, general secretary, Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Dr Mary Bousted’s route to the top job at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers was (ATL) entirely unconventional. This is no stereotypically duffle-coated, megaphone-wielding trade union leader. The former teacher and university lecturer always considered herself a trade unionist, but never imagined she would lead the ATL. Teaching initially in Harrow, West London, she […]

Traineeship figures revealed for first time

The government has said traineeships were “off to a good start” as it revealed 3,300 starts in six months. It is the first time the number of starts on the government’s new flagship youth unemployment programme has been published and comes just over a week after official figures showed 912,000 young people aged 16 to 24 […]

Sixth form college staff walk out over pay and conditions

Sixth form college teachers up and down the country have walked out of work as part of a strike by the National Union of Teachers (NUT). The industrial action over changes to pay and conditions has gone ahead today despite a series of meetings with the government, which failed to reach a satisfactory agreement. Rallies have […]

Apprentices use their decorating and maintenance skills to revamp rundown church

Construction and maintenance apprentices in Derby put their skills to good use by giving a church and community centre a huge facelift, writes Paul Offord. Brownies, Cubs, Girl Guides and a parent and toddler group are just a handful of the regular users of an East Midlands community centre and church who are benefiting from […]

Students united for debates on major global issues

Students from 30 sixth form colleges took part in a United Nations-style event at Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College. The event, at the college in Birmingham, was opened by journalist John McCarthy CBE, who was held hostage from 1986 to 1991in the Lebanon. Around 300 students represented 40 countries and acted as delegates from UN […]

£600 raised for Sport Relief

Doncaster College students raised over £600 for Sports Relief with the help of Doncaster Rovers players Alex Peterson and Josh Meade. The professional footballers, who attended the college from 2011 to 2013, made a 15 minute sponsored dash around the college campus and collected £97 sponsorship from staff and students. Students and staff were sponsored […]

Healthy food prepared for residents in care home

East Durham College catering students prepared healthy dishes for elderly residents at a care home. The group of five level two learners visited Ashwood Park Care Home, in Durham, which provides residential and nursing care. They prepared a special low-fat shepherd’s pie and a diabetic carrot and currant cake, using sweetener rather than sugar. The […]

Apprentice gives Osborne tips on bricklaying

Chancellor George Osborne was given bricklaying tips by an apprentice. Mr Osborne visited a site in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, where construction firm Barratt homes is building 800 new homes. He was shown how to build a wall by level one bricklaying apprentice Tom Fyfe, aged 16, who works for Barratt and does his training with North […]

Talented young poet has way with words

A South Cheshire College student has proved she has a way with words after seeing her work appear in two poetry anthologies. Lydia Eccleston entered a competition, along with thousands of other budding poets from across the country, to get her work printed by United Press. The 17-year-old English literature, English language and philosophy A-level […]