Author: FE Week Reporter

Funding may well be key to getting anywhere near the government’s 3m apprenticeship starts target for the period of the new Parliament, but ensuring quality teaching is behind the figures will also help achieve the goal. While money is clearly essential, understanding the pedagogy underpinning apprenticeships is highly important if we are to improve both […]

The prevention of extremism is a wide-ranging concern that reaches into vocational education and training issue, a Selina Stewart explains. The statutory duty to prevent extremism will soon come in to effect. However, as independent learning providers (ILPs) will know, Ofsted has been inspecting for compliance with the Prevent duty for several months. Ofsted expects […]

Jonathan Wells makes the case for the end of preferential government treatment for GCSEs over Functional Skills Functional Skills (FS) are not the ‘easy option’, they are much more rigorous than GCSEs when it comes to application of skills, pass marks are significantly higher and the focus is on the application of basic skills in […]

Mapped out long-term career paths in technical or leadership roles are just some of the propositions facing apprentice at Sweett Group, Doulas McCormick outlines how and why such attractive professional offers are being put before earners and learners. The latest report from the UKCES talks of the Death of the Saturday Job, with more students […]

Dr Ann Limb presents five reasons to be cheerful about skills, devolution and localism over the next five years. I’ve worked with — and for — Conservative, Labour, and Coalition governments. It is from this perspective that I predict the next five to 10 years could be the most exciting, challenging, and potentially the most […]

Apprenticeship reforms remain on the agenda and could be even more important as the government seeks to hit its 3m starts target. Rebecca Rhodes outlines the reform situation. The importance of apprenticeships to productivity and growth in the economy is evidenced by the government’s continued commitment to ensure employers lead the development of high quality […]

Jason Holt’s 2012 report for government on getting more businesses taking on apprentices puts him in good position to assess the situation today. He considers the programme’s current situation and its future. When I spoke to members of the AELP at their annual conference, I was asked to give an employer’s perspective on the future […]

The SFA has been entrusted with meeting the government’s target of 3m apprenticeships starts in England during this Parliament. Peter Lauener outlines measures to help reach the goal. One of the government’s key manifesto commitments is to create 3m apprenticeships by 2020 in England. Last week, Richard Harrington MP was announced as the Prime Minister’s […]

Ofqual recently outlined its plans for closing the unit databank as part of its ongoing work to withdraw the regulatory arrangements for the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF). Andrew Gladstone-Heighton outlines his concerns. Just to make it clear at the outset; I’ve been in the sector long enough to remember the introduction of the QCF […]