FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Keeping the options open on Functional Skills

The government has already downgraded Functional Skills more than three years before they are fully replaced in the apprenticeship programme by GCSEs. Roger Francis makes the case for viewing the qualifications as equal again. Few people would deny that the UK faces a huge skills crisis. Nearly 50 per cent of the adult working […]

Colleges hit with pensions bill rise

A 16 per cent hike in employer pension contributions next year could cost the college sector tens of millions of pounds and lead to job losses, it has been claimed. The Association of Colleges (AoC) said plans to increase employer contributions to the teacher pension scheme could hit individual FE college budgets by an average […]

The Great FE & Skills Survey of 2014

The state-of-the-nation survey, which is a joint project between the Policy Consortium and FE Week, aims to provide a detailed picture of shifting attitudes and responses to changes in government policy and practice.

The Great FE & Skills Survey of 2014

The Great FE & Skills Survey of 2014 has been launched. The state-of-the-nation survey, which is a joint project between the Policy Consortium and FE Week, aims to provide a detailed picture of shifting attitudes and responses to changes in government policy and practice. It is planned to become an annual event and the results […]

No competition for ‘transparency’ role

The chair of a new board established by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) to ensure transparency was appointed without an open and competitive application process, FE Week can reveal. The SFA has announced that Burton and South Derbyshire College principal Dawn Ward will chair its data and management information advisory group, which aims to […]

Adult budget cuts prompt rethink call

The government has been urged to rethink its approach to funding for FE after it was revealed learning providers will face an average cut of 15 per cent to their adult skills budgets. In a letter to providers, Skills Funding Agency (SFA) interim chief executive Barbara Spicer (pictured) said although funding for apprenticeships and traineeships […]

Elmfield probe results ‘with minister’

The findings of an official investigation into defunct training provider Elmfield are on the desk of Skills Minister Matthew Hancock, FE Week can reveal. A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) would not say if the report would be made public, but MPs on the Business, Innovation and Skills select committee […]

Fears remain as quals list published

Further concerns that valuable qualifications could fall victim to a government cull have been raised after a leading awarding organisation saved nine of its qualifications from the public funding axe, but lost three. The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has published its first list of qualifications eligible for funding in 2014/15. The list includes 6,558 qualifications […]

Colleges and schools to get ‘robust comparisons’ regime

Further education leaders have welcomed Ofsted plans that would allow parents and learners to compare the post-16 performance of school sixth forms with that of colleges. A separate inspection grade for school sixth forms could be introduced under much-anticipated proposals put out to consultation by the education watchdog. An Ofsted spokesperson had told FE Week […]