FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Happy VQ Day! Vocational learning celebrations mark eighth annual event

Happy VQ Day! Today will see the efforts of vocational learners up and down the country celebrated. It is the eighth annual VQ Day and so stay tuned to feweek.co.uk for Twitter updates of #VQDay events, below. And also look out for edition 141 of FE Week, dated Monday, June 15, for a 16-page supplement […]

‘Don’t assume’ £900m cuts falling on FE colleges, Boles warns MPs

It should not be assumed that “very large” in-year cuts facing the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Department for Education will all fall on the FE sector, Skills Minister Nick Boles has told MPs. Speaking at the end of a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament held in anticipation of tomorrow’s VQ Day celebrations, Mr […]

Sectors unite to plead with Education Secretary and Chancellor on 16 to 19 funding

Further Education sector leaders have joined forces with senior representatives from the schools world to plead with Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Chancellor George Osborne for an increase in 16 to 19 education funding from 2016-17. Two joint letters, signed by Martin Doel (pictured right), chief executive of the Association of Colleges (AoC), Brian Lightman (pictured below left) […]

Students’ suspension triggers Islamophobia row at NewVIc

An East London sixth form college has been plunged into an Islamophobia row after three students were suspended for misuse of college emails. It is understood that three female learners at Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc), who have not been named, were temporarily suspended after sending a petition against institutional Islamophobia to every student and […]

Concerns for apprenticeship growth funding after extra cash announcement delayed until after July budget

Providers which have over-delivered on their apprenticeships contracts face a long wait to find out if they will be paid. The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has written to providers who were expecting to hear back about their quarter three growth requests last week to inform them the announcement will take place following the government’s emergency […]

UTCs to be discussed in Parliament as Black Country MP challenges closure

Concerns about the University Technical Colleges (UTCs) programme will be raised in Parliament this afternoon after a decision to close one in the Midlands prompted the local MP to take action. David Winnick (pictured), MP for Walsall West, has tabled an adjournment debate in the House of Commons this afternoon following the announcement that the […]

Government 16 to 19 policy ‘requires improvement’ say three quarters of local authorities

Three quarters of councils think government policy on 16 to 19-year-olds “requires improvement,” a Local Government Association (LGA) survey has revealed. The results of the LGA’s survey of 87 councils on 16 to 18-year-old participation have also prompted concerns over government careers policy and the ability of local authorities to tackle a lack of participation […]

Six-month euro funding delay ‘could have been avoided’

Sector leaders have lashed out at the UK government and European Commission over a possible six-month funding gap for European Social Fund (ESF) contracts that they claimed “could have been avoided” — averting widespread job losses. The SFA confirmed for the first time on Wednesday (June 3) that while current 2007 to 2013 contracts would […]

Your VQ Day events guide as learners’ vocational achievements across the country get the recognition they deserve

Vocational qualifications will be celebrated by hundreds of people at colleges and independent learning providers across the country to mark VQ Day 2015. Winners of teacher of the year, employer of the year, and learner of the year VQ Day awards will be announced tomorrow (June 9), during a ceremony starting at 6pm at the […]