Billy Camden | FE Week

The reformed apprenticeship system need not fail the young and disadvantaged

It should come as no surprise that the reformed apprenticeship system has been found to be failing young disadvantaged people. At FE Week we, and many others, predicted young people would be hit hardest in the move to the employer-led levy-funded system introduced in 2017. Today the Social Mobility Commission joins the voices calling for […]

EU students to be barred from FE loans next year

Students from the European Union will lose eligibility for advanced learner loans from August next year, the government confirmed today. Universities minister Michelle Donelan announced the new rules this afternoon, which also apply to students from the European Economic Area and Swiss nationals. It comes as the UK prepares to leave the transition year for […]

FE colleges to fully reopen in September is the ‘intention’, says PM

It is the government’s “intention” to get colleges “back in September”, the prime minister said today after announcing that schools will reopen by then with “full attendance” as social distancing rules are relaxed. Boris Johnson told the House of Commons this afternoon that he will reduce the distance that needs to be maintained between people […]

Treasury excluded colleges from £1bn catch-up fund just hours before DfE announcement

It was the Treasury’s decision to pull colleges from the Department for Education’s £1 billion Covid-19 catch-up plan, FE Week understands. Last week, the DfE sparked outrage after telling the press that 16 to 19 providers would be included in the support package only to send out a “correction” two hours later that removed them. […]

Revealed: The 22 areas sharing £2m in careers hubs funding

Almost 900 additional schools and colleges will join the government’s careers hubs from September as the programme expands with a £2 million injection. Skills minister Gillian Keegan announced today that the funding for the third wave of the scheme will be shared between 22 local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) across England (list below). Each area either […]

ESFA finally reveals Covid financial support offer for 16-19 private training providers

Private training providers whose recruitment of 16 to 19 students has been “limited” due to Covid-19 have been offered financial support to ease budget pressures. From today, independent learning providers (ILPs) can make a business case to the Education and Skills Funding Agency to prevent clawback of any underperformance they have experienced for this group […]

FE snubbed in ‘corrected’ DfE £1bn catch-up plans

The government is facing fierce criticism for snubbing colleges from its £1 billion Covid-19 “catch-up” package after appearing to include them and other 16 to 19 providers in their initial plans. Prime minister Boris Johnson and education secretary Gavin Williamson have today launched the funding in a bid to help school pupils catch-up on the […]

How one college has adapted to welcome back more students

On March 20 colleges closed their doors to most students as the country entered lockdown following the outbreak of Covid-19. But this month one of the biggest steps was taken to ease restrictions: the phased return of schools and other education providers. Billy Camden visits FE Week’s local college in south-east London to see first-hand […]

Speed read: The 8 apprenticeship assessment concerns according to Ofqual

Ofqual has today published the findings of their initial “technical evaluations” of apprentice end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs). It covers the first wave of 50 EPAs that the exams regulator was the external quality assurance provider for over the past two years. The aim of the evaluations is to provide EPAOs with guidance “as to how […]