Author: Billy Camden

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has apologised for causing confusion in its off-the-job training rule and updated its policy guidance to clarify how providers should be calculating it. Providers were left baffled after the agency updated its “apprenticeship off the-job training policy background and examples” document on March 22, which for the first time […]

A former director of a training provider that falsified exam papers for individuals seeking to gain security guard licenses has been jailed for eight months. Shamin Uddin, who headed up SAS Training Academy in Telford, Shropshire, was handed the sentence on March 29 at Shrewsbury Crown Court for fraud that was investigated in 2015. He […]

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has reached a deal with the organisation that has delivered external quality assurance on its behalf for the past 18 months to extend its work until June while it finalises its procurement for a long-term contract. Open Awards first won the contract to deliver quality assurance for apprenticeships […]

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is going to scrap its minimum standards policy as part of an earlier and stronger intervention regime. New ‘oversight of independent training providers’ guidance was published today which details how the agency aims to “eradicate low quality training provision, protect learners and public funds”. Currently, the ESFA only routinely […]

Colleges that experience “serious” cash flow pressures, breach bank covenants, or have significantly delayed accounts will be placed into formal intervention from now on, according to new Department for Education guidance. A new “one-stop document” that sets out a “strengthened college oversight” regime has been published by the DfE this morning. It follows the introduction […]

Further questions are being asked about the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s recent European Social Fund tender, after FE Week discovered an “unprecedented” amount of tie-breaks in the controversial procurement. Many providers have alleged that the competition, worth around £282 million in total, was botched after the agency broke tender rules and made “errors”. One […]

The chief executive of a grade one college has apologised after an audit exposed data manipulation that resulted in more than £500,000 being paid back to the government. Lowell Williams (pictured), the boss at Dudley College, told FE Week he even considered resigning over the “blunder”, which has led to the college being excluded from […]

The quality of apprenticeships is “sticking” instead of moving forward, according to Ofsted’s chief inspector who today urged the sector to “improve”. Amanda Spielman (pictured) delivered a keynote speech on day one of FE Week’s Annual Apprenticeship Conference and provided delegates with an update about what the education watchdog is finding during inspections. She said […]