Author: Billy Camden

Colleges had over £200 million of bank debt paid off by the Treasury during the post-16 area reviews, but civil servants say it is “too early” to determine the programme’s success. An ‘Area review: end of programme report’ was published by the Department for Education this afternoon to provide a “factual record” of the implementation […]

Nottingham College has said it will be open as usual during 15-days of strike action by the University and College Union, including two full weeks of industrial action. College staff will be on picket lines from Wednesday 11 September to Friday 11 October after members voted to stage a one-day walkout which will escalate to […]

The education secretary has committed to meeting with principals around Stourbridge to discuss how further education can continue in the area – after its only general FE college was sold off. Cash-strapped Birmingham Metropolitan College controversially announced in May that it would sell off and close Stourbridge College in a desperate bid to ease a […]

Yet another data field for logging apprentices’ off-the-job training hours will be introduced to individual learner records (ILR) from next August. It follows high-profile concern from the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee about non-compliance with the unpopular rule going unchallenged. The Education and Skills Funding Agency revealed today that a mandatory “off-the-Job training […]

Employers lost access to £44 million of their apprenticeship levy funds in July, and £52 million in August, the government has revealed. It means that a total of £133 million has expired from employers’ levy accounts to date. However, it is important to remember that the levy policy was designed so that large employers wouldn’t […]

One of England’s largest college groups is officially closing down its two private training providers – meaning nearly 300 jobs will be lost by the end of October. NCG has this morning confirmed that, following a consultation, Rathbone Training and Intraining are in the process of winding down their delivery operations. Around 4,500 learners were […]

Police have been called in after a college’s principal was targeted in a malicious hack in which fraudsters allegedly doctored internal emails to include a racist word and then sent the emails to the media, staff and a local councillor. FE Week was one recipient from someone who called themselves an “ethical hacker” and had […]

College leaders are being asked for their views on the ESFA’s oversight of financial management – after the FE Commissioner found staff there had failed to accurately assess Hadlow College’s finances. It was announced last week that Dame Mary Ney would lead a review into the way the government monitors college finances. The review was […]