Author: Billy Camden

The head of Ofqual’s vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) department is stepping down. Phil Beach, who is currently leading the regulator’s Covid-19 response across further education providers and students for cancelled exams, will leave to become chief executive of Energy and Utility Skills – a membership body for the utility workforce – on September 21. […]

The Education and Skills Funding Agency’s director for apprenticeships has revealed that discussions are underway with Treasury about what “incentives” they can give employers as part of the prime minister’s “apprenticeship guarantee” pledge. Peter Mucklow revealed the first bit of detail of how the proposal might work during an Association of Employment and Learning Providers […]

The Education and Skills Funding Agency’s new director for apprenticeships has pledged more “collaboration, communication, and clarity” as he bids to “strengthen relationships” with training providers. Statements on building greater partnerships have this afternoon been published by Peter Mucklow, Association of Colleges boss David Hughes, and Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Mark […]

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is delaying its decision on whether to remove the integrated degree from the popular digital solutions apprenticeship as it launches a wider review of its mandated qualifications policy. A review into the level 6 digital and technology solutions professional (DTSP) standard was first launched two years ago and […]

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has today launched its second Covid-19 provider relief scheme. FE providers can now bid to receive apprenticeship and adult education budget funding in advance of delivery for the period July to October 2020. The first supplier relief scheme was run from April to June and resulted in a third […]

The shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey has been sacked by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. A spokesperson for Starmer said she had been “asked to step down” after sharing an article that “contained an antisemitic conspiracy theory”. Earlier today, Long-Bailey shared an interview with actor Maxine Peake in the Independent, in which Peake claimed that […]

A college in Yorkshire is to make over 100 staff redundant and its principal has branded the government “short-sighted” after their apprenticeship Covid provider relief application was rejected. Bradford College, which almost went bust last year, is aiming to save £1.5 million through a restructure that involves winding down two of its subsidiary companies to […]

Apprenticeship starts have dropped by almost half since lockdown compared to the same period last year, according to new Department for Education figures. Provisional data published today shows that from March 23 to May 31 there were 26,090 starts compared to the 50,050 reported between those months in 2019 – a fall of 47.9 per […]

Total income across colleges in England could fall by £2 billion next year as the “enormous impact” of Covid-19 bites, the chief executive of their membership body has said. Association of Colleges boss David Hughes revealed the prediction during an education select committee hearing this morning in which he added the government “must must must” […]