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27 April 2026

Author: FE Week Reporter

Reforms signal ‘death’ of teen apprenticeships

An “enforced” employer’s fee for 16 and 17-year-old apprenticeships under government funding reforms could spell the end of the programme, it has been claimed. This will create an 18 to 24 English apprenticeship system, but it will kill off apprenticeships for 16 and 17 year olds.” The move was revealed as part of a technical […]

NCG loses DWP jobs contract

A multi-million pound government contract to find work for long-term unemployed people has been taken off NCG (formerly Newcastle College Group). The programme was launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) three years ago for private, public or voluntary organisations to help people find people jobs. The notice of termination has been issued […]

Commissioner findings add fuel to the Barnfield Federation fire

The FE Commissioner’s findings of his inspection of the under-fire Barnfield Federation have been published, giving another damning verdict on its leadership and governance. Commissioner David Collins called for at least half the governors to be replaced and for “significant changes” to the federation’s leadership, following his visit in January. His findings were made public […]

Learners could have qualifications revoked

Past learners with a Warwickshire-based provider could have their qualifications taken away from them following a probe into allegations of malpractice. Leading awarding organisation NCFE (formerly the Northern Council for Further Education) announced last month it had stopped certificating Bright Assessing course following its investigation. The suspension will remain in place until the outcome of […]

Traffic lights warning on careers guidance progress

Not enough has been done to meet recommendations for the future of careers advice in England outlined by the National Careers Council (NCC), the watchdog has said. In its report, An Aspirational Nation: Achieving a culture change in careers provision, released in June last year, the NCC made seven recommendations about improvements to the National […]

Government announces new apprenticeship trailblazers

The Prime Minister today announced 29 new trailblazer groups to lead the transformation of the apprenticeship system. The new trailblazers, covering areas such as health, law, media , hospitality and tourism, are made up of more than 340 employers including John Lewis, BA and BMW. The health trailblazer means it could soon be possible to […]

Disability sports club wins government recognition

Kingston College has been recognised for encouraging special needs students to play sport. The Inclusive Club, which has 25 members with a range of physical and learning disabilities, was launched by the college a year ago. Its success has now led to the college being given official accreditation by Interactive, a government agency which recognises […]