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26 April 2026

Author: FE Week Reporter

Former beautician retrains as a builder and plasterer

Former beautician Jaqueline Butler had a career rethink after redecorating her house. Two years later, and with level one qualifications in building, plastering, and painting and decorating under her belt, she’s planning to launch her own construction business, writes Paul Offord. “Construction is a lot like beauty,” says Jaqueline Butler, “you start with a blank […]

Moving account of impact on family of Huntington’s disease

Students from Bromley College of Further and Higher Education heard a talk from an author who lost her father, aunt and two brothers to Huntington’s disease. Deborah Goodman wrote the book Hummingbird about her experiences since childhood of Huntington’s. She described to social cae students how her father, aunt and two brothers were diagnosed and […]

Different takes on putting ‘employers at the heart’ of FE reform

Putting employers at the heart of FE and skills reform gives it an air of authority under the current political climate. Mick Fletcher looks at the differing viewpoints that could be taken on this theme. All the headlines about the long-awaited Skills Funding Statement were understandably about the 19 per cent cut to adult FE […]

Survey reignites FE and skills teacher qualifications debate

Six months after the government revoked regulations requiring that teachers at colleges and independent learning providers be qualified, FE Week reporter Freddie Whittaker looked at whether providers now had their own requirements in place. At least 94 per cent of England’s colleges and independent learning providers (ILPs) will only take on qualified teachers or staff […]

Making technology work for employers

The Education Innovation conference and exhibition takes place in Manchester on Thursday and Friday. Here, speakers Bob Harrison and Pauline Odulinski give insights into their talks at which Skills Minister Matthew Hancock is expected to appear via videolink. Employers tell us they want learners to be better prepared to enter the working environment. Whether a […]

Further education’s digital future

The Education Innovation conference and exhibition takes place in Manchester on Thursday and Friday. Here, speakers Bob Harrison and Pauline Odulinski give insights into their talks at which Skills Minister Matthew Hancock is expected to appear via videolink. My grandchildren are six, four, three and one. They are fortunate enough to have been born in […]

Fisher defends Barnfield as £1m funding claim passed to police

Dame Jackie Fisher has defended new employer Barnfield Federation amid claims it got £1m of government funding for learners it had no record of teaching. Within days of Dame Jackie taking over as chief executive of the Bedfordshire-based federation last week, it emerged official reports in which the claims were made had been passed onto […]

McDonald’s education head gets bite at UK apprentice job

The appointment of McDonald’s education chief Sue Husband as England’s new apprenticeships boss has been welcomed by FE sector leaders. Ms Husband, national education manager at McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd UK, will fill the shoes of David Way, who stepped down as director of the Skills Funding Agency’s apprenticeship division in August. Stewart Segal, chief executive […]