Author: Billy Camden

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

The mayor of Tees Valley has earmarked £1 million to pay the wages of more than 100 young apprentices in an effort to reverse the decline of starts as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Ben Houchen (pictured) announced the fund for his region today after a recent survey by his combined authority found […]

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 […]