Author: Billy Camden

The government should set aside an extra £8.6 billion for a one-off skills package to “reboot” the economy post-Covid-19, according to the Association of Employment and Learning Providers. AELP says a large chunk – £3.6 billion – of the “costed” proposal should be spent on subsidising wages for half a million young apprentices to protect […]

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education fully backed the ministerial decision to stick with the switch-off date for starts on frameworks, even in sectors where there is no viable replacement standard ready. Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the apprenticeship quango, told an FE Week webcast today that ruling out an extension to the July […]

The Department for Education is drafting in a group of new policy experts as it gears up for “revolutionary” changes in FE. Job adverts for 16 senior advisers to “craft a wide range of policies” within the department’s “higher and further education group” are currently live with annual salaries ranging from £49,000 to £60,000. It […]

The Education and Training Foundation is handing out 100 discounts worth £500 each to boost the number of FE lecturers with Advanced Teacher Status (ATS), whilst also softening the scheme’s eligibility criteria. It currently costs participants £750 to undertake ATS, meaning those that receive the discount will only have to pay £250. The qualification was […]

The chief executive of one of England’s largest college groups has been announced as the next president of the Association of Colleges. Sally Dicketts, who heads up Activate Learning, will take over the role from Steve Frampton on August 1 when his two-year tenure is up. She said she was “delighted” to be appointed and […]

Apprenticeship providers have been left shocked after the Education and Skills Funding Agency ignored their own coronavirus deferral policy and sent out contract termination letters, FE Week can reveal.  The business-ending intervention for failing the minimum standards for achievement rates comes just weeks after the ESFA wrote to providers claiming they would postpone decisions until […]

Labour’s shadow apprenticeships minister has branded the prime minister’s “apprenticeship guarantee” proposal a “deception”. Toby Perkins told FE Week he was “concerned” that young people were being given “false reassurance” by Boris Johnson at a time when they are facing “a very difficult job market”. His comments come a day after Johnson told the nation […]

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has for the first time revealed the training providers that have been paid funding from apprenticeship levy funded employers. The data, for the 12-month 2018/19 academic year, shows Lifetime Training at the top after it was paid a whopping £51.5 million – almost double the next closest provider QA […]