FE Week Reporter | FE Week

How does the next government grow and fund a big increase in apprenticeships?

The political appetite for apprenticeships has never been greater, and neither has the pressure on funding — so where could the money for this booming programme come from, asks Richard Atkins. Politicians in all of the political parties are telling us what a great success apprenticeships are and how they must be increased during the […]

Calling time on student union-inspired game show

Media production students from Coleg Gwent are gaining real life experience in television by producing their own game show. They are using skills picked up on their extended diploma in creative media production course on a university student’s union-inspired game show called The Union. The learners took on the role of a television production company […]

Is your college a ‘going concern’?

What would happen to your college if the Skills Funding Agency held back funding for 45 days? It’s just one of the tough questions that need to be asked if you’re planning to stay afloat, says Ian Sackree. One of the most (if not the most) important tasks for the college’s accounting officer, is to […]

SFAsteps in for campus revamp go ahead at cash-strapped college

A cash-strapped East Midlands college’s plans for a multimillion pound campus revamp have been saved after the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and local authority stepped in with £12m of funding. New College Nottingham (NCN) has already had a grant of £15m from the SFA for its Basford Hall campus redevelopment, and the new deal will […]

Golden girl Rebecca opens splashing new sports centre

Double Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington officially opened a new £13.5m sports centre for Blackburn College. It was developed by the college and the local authority and is open to both students and the community. It was opened with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque by Ms Adlington, who retired from competitive swimming last […]

Coalition parties let manifesto differences get between them

Funding increases, University Technical Colleges (UTCs) near every English city, a commission on funding for lifelong learning and millions of apprenticeships were on the agenda as the two Coalition parties went head-to-head with their general election manifestos. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats may have presided over the same education policies in Government, but apart from […]

Sea change in training for 2,000-mile swim

Hartpury College staff are facing their biggest challenge yet in training a charity fundraiser to swim across the Atlantic from Africa to Brazil, writes Billy Camden. Swimming 2,000 miles in 6.5m strokes may seem an impossible task to most, but not father-of-one Ben Hooper, who will have four Hartpury College lecturers to thank if he […]

Edition 134: Heather MacDonald & Paul Corcoran

The commercial director of a railway software, technology and services company is to become the new chief executive of The Sheffield College. Heather MacDonald’s seven years in post come to an end this summer, at which point she will be replaced by Paul Corcoran, from DeltaRail. He is due to start his post at the […]

Lib Dems pledge 16 to 19 funding boost in budget protection plan

Funding for 16 to 19-year-olds would receive a boost under Liberal Democrat plans to budget for rising learner numbers, the party has claimed. The Lib Dems are due to launch their manifesto this morning. It includes a pledge to protect the education budget for two to 19-year-olds in real terms, including an allowance for rising […]