FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Christine Bullock, chief executive, Apt Awards

The Pheasant Inn, in Chippenham, has a lot to answer for in Christine Bullock’s life. It was where she was once persuaded to take part in a pub crawl around the Wiltshire market town dressed as a ‘push-me-pull-you’ — a double headed pantomime horse — and where she met late husband Bob. It was also […]

Second chance at education is lifesaver for former drug addict

Tia Riddle spent her teenage years in care and hit rock bottom when she almost died from a drugs overdose. But she has turned her life around with the help of a local college, writes Paul Offord. n award-winning student who was expelled from five schools before her sixteenth birthday said college had “saved” her […]

Employers failing the Ofsted challenge — are they fit to take over skills agenda?

The move towards greater employer involvement in FE and skills is gaining momentum. But with employer providers having come in for less than inspiring Ofsted gradings of late, should we be questioning the wisdom of such a shift? It’s just over a year ago that former Dragons’ Den investor Doug Richard (pictured left) said apprenticeship […]

Protecting the good name of the FE teaching profession

The case of Newham College’s dance and drama head Dr Mark Walcott is a difficult one for the FE sector. He was suspended after an apparently homophobic and racist rant. The situation also led to principal Denise Brown-Sackey taking a leave of absence. Dr Jean Kelly looks at the lessons to be learned. Many have […]

Andrew Jones, apprenticeship ambassador to Parliament

Andrew Jones MP is a little uncertain about being profiled when we meet in the glass-roofed atrium of Portcullis House, across the road from the Houses of Parliament. “I don’t normally do this sort of thing. I normally talk about policies, not personalities,” he says. But he is happy to talk about his passion for […]

Osborne looks to tax credits and mandatory employer cash contributions for apprenticeships

Chancellor George Osborne confirmed the government will introduce an HMRC-based funding system alongside a mandatory employer cash contribution for apprenticeships through his Autumn Statement. He said the government will develop a model which uses HMRC systems to route apprenticeship funding direct to employers. The Treasury subsequently announced it will launch a consultation on the technical details of the system in […]

National Skills Academy Logistics goes into liquidation after SFA cancels funding

The National Skills Academy Logistics (NSAL) has been put into liquidation after its financial support was pulled by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). The NSAL’s National Employer Board was critical of the SFA’s role in the demise of the organisation, which helped employers meet legislative requirements and develop training courses. A statement released on behalf […]

FE Week Charity Auction

UPDATE: Due to our website being down for over 48 hours, towards the end of this auction, we have decided to relist these items until Wednesday 12th December 2013. We are pleased to announce the launch of our 2013 online charity auction in aid of the Helena Kennedy Foundation. BID NOW for one of these […]

The AoC chief executive shares his thoughts after the three day conference

After an exhausting few days, Association of Colleges chief executive Martin Doel shared his thoughts with FE Week editor Nick Linford. The pair talked all things conference in a 45-minute webinar, sponsored by Tribal. Here are some of the key moments. Nick Linford: So, we heard from the president of the Association of Colleges, Michele […]