Alix Robertson | FE Week

Gazelle’s underpants partner hits the skids

The company that the Gazelle Colleges Group employed to run a competition to help teach young people entrepreneurial skills has been dissolved. Pants to Poverty, a fair trade underwear brand, ran the contest, initially named the ‘Pantrepreneur Challenge’ and then the ‘PantrepreneurSHIP Challenge’, in partnership with Gazelle. The challenge encouraged college students across the country […]

Move away from 3m apprenticeship target to avoid ‘wasting £500 million’ says influential think tank

The government should “move away” from its target for three million apprenticeships, to avoid wasting £500 million a year on substandard training, according to experts from the Policy Exchange. A new report from the right-wing think-tank claims that a significant proportion of the apprenticeship standards are inadequate, and raises concerns about the government’s focus on […]

Influential think tank calls for college-only route to replace the level 2 apprenticeship

Left-wing think tank IPPR wants the government to phase out level two apprenticeships for 16-18 year olds, and replace them with a programme only offered by colleges. Entitled ‘Earning & Learning – Making the Apprenticeship System work for 16-18 year olds’, its new report warned youth unemployment is being fuelled by “too many” 16–18 year […]

Ofqual opens malpractice investigation following apprentice complaint

Allegations of malpractice lodged by a former apprentice of Highbury College are being investigated by Ofqual, an FE Week investigation has revealed. The qualifications watchdog confirmed it is looking into complaints lodged by 35-year-old Maxwell Hyde – who started as a boatbuilding apprentice at the college in Portsmouth in September 2011, and who went on […]

Lead DfE civil servant debunks Skills Plan ‘myth’

The government’s controversial plans to replace over 20,000 technical courses with 15 routes won’t lead to just 15 qualifications, a top civil servant has insisted. Warwick Sharp, the deputy director 16-19 strategy at the Department for Education, said it was a “myth” that the streamlining – which many in the sector worry is too drastic […]

Race on to approve assessors in time for apprentices finishing in March

Fresh concerns have been raised about endpoint tests on apprenticeships, after an FE Week investigation found learners who will finish in March on a new standard without any officially approved awarding organisation. Global insurance company Aon has confirmed this to be the case for the first wave of students taking its level three insurance practitioner […]

Minister ‘pretty sure’ assessments will be in place by the time apprentices finish

The apprenticeships and skills minister is “pretty sure” that no apprentices will get to the end of their course without an end-point assessment organisation in place. Robert Halfon was grilled on the topic in speaking at a sub-committee on education, skills and the economy evidence session on apprenticeships today (November 2) in the Palace of Westminster, […]

Peter Lauener at odds with sector over lack of end-point assessors

The new apprenticeships reform policing body’s boss insisted a shortage of approved end-point assessors is not a serious problem – despite a roomful of Association of Employment and Learning Providers Autumn conference delegates disagreeing. Peter Lauener, who is interim chief executive of the new Institute for Apprenticeships, as well as chief executive of the Skills Funding […]

Cost of Digital Apprenticeship Service revealed

The government expects to spend at least £12.5m on delivering its new Digital Apprenticeship Service, FE Week can reveal. The budget will cover both costs to the Skills Funding Agency and suppliers of services such as web development and user research, according to the Department for Education. A DfE spokesperson told FE Week: “The cost of building […]