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12 May 2026

Author: Billy Camden

ESFA to finally invite small employers and providers to trial apprenticeship system

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is preparing to invite non-levy employers and providers to test its digital apprenticeship system. The agency will introduce this change over a “transition period” through an “expressions of interest phase”, with those chosen commencing the trial from summer 2019. Currently, only big employers with an annual total pay bill […]

Six months after RoATP applications ESFA can’t say when outcomes will be revealed

New applicants trying to get onto the refreshed apprenticeship provider register have been left hanging by the government six months after its launch, and officials can’t say when they’ll be told if they’ve been successful. The register of apprenticeship training providers finally reopened on December 12 with more “stringent and challenging entry requirements”. This was […]

Apprenticeship quango to review impact of their own controversial funding rate cuts

The Institute for Apprenticeships will soon start evaluating the impact of its controversial funding band reviews, and promises to “take action” where reductions have made delivering apprentice training unviable. It comes just weeks after FE Week revealed that major retailer Halfords has been forced into scrapping all of its level 2 apprenticeship provision – a […]

How colleges can encourage more students to be active

A large scale survey published today reveals that most FE students are not meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for adult physical activity. What can colleges do to support fitness and sport so that students can reap the benefits? Marcus Kingwell offers his tips   Wednesday 15 May sees the release of the British Active […]

AoC wins secretive T-levels transition offer tender

The Association of Colleges has won a contract with the government to develop a “transitional” course for T-levels, following a secretive and restrictive procurement. It will now design the offer and support providers with its “phased” implementation running up to first delivery of the new post-16 technical qualifications in 2020 and 2021. The course, recommended […]

What Ofsted’s new inspection framework means for FE

Ofsted has today published its new and final education inspection framework that will come into effect from September. It follows a three-month public consultation, which prompted more than 15,000 responses – the highest number the education watchdog has ever received. A new FE and skills inspection handbook has been created as a result, which includes […]

Why having a journalist on your board can be a risky business

You need more than stars in your eyes if you’re determined to have media glitterati on your board, cautions Ruth Sparkes Is it really a good idea to have a journalist on your governing body?  Hopwood Hall College’s latest governor, Nazir Afzal, thinks it is (Profile, FE Week, May 3). It’s an interesting question. It’s […]

IfA to trial ‘gender-neutral’ language in bid to boost female STEM applicants

The Institute for Apprenticeships is to trial “gender-neutral” language in a bid to boost the number of female STEM apprentices – after research found “masculine” words in job adverts, such as “ambition”, “challenging” and “leader”, deter them from applying. The chronic under-representation of women taking apprenticeships in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is a […]