Author: Billy Camden

  The Department for Education is waiting for the Treasury to let them announce a start date for when the 10 per cent employer co-investment will be halved, FE Week can reveal. In his Budget speech in October, chancellor Philip Hammond announced that the contribution non-levy paying companies pay towards apprenticeship training would fall to […]

Adults earning less than the national living wage and who live outside of Mayoral combined authorities with devolution deals will continue to benefit from fully funded training next year. Prior to 2018/19, adults had to have been on benefits to receive full funding for education courses. Last year, the Department for Education launched a trial […]

Today’s National Audit Office report into apprenticeships is a “shame” because it only reflects on the past and doesn’t account for policy that will make a difference in the future, the apprenticeships minister has said. Anne Milton spoke with FE Week’s editor Nick Linford this morning during a visit to the University of East London […]

National Audit Office criticism of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education standards approvals process has been rejected by its chief executive. In an exclusive interview with FE Week, Sir Gerry Berragan ruled out prioritising the development of particular standards, those that “could add the most value”, when clearing the backlog. There are currently 254 […]

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has asked employers and providers for feedback on the way it provides apprenticeship funding rules information. The agency called volunteers to take part in a survey which aims to make sure its funding rules are “clearer, easier to use” as well to learn more about its users. It follows […]

On the same day the National Audit Office revealed the government has “limited assurance” the 20 per cent off-the-job-training rule is being complied with, Ofsted has accused a provider of failing to ensure the entitlement is being met. Meg Hillier MP and chair of the public accounts committee also hit out today saying it was […]

There is “clear risk” that the apprenticeship programme is not financially sustainable after the average cost of training an apprentice hit double what the government predicted, the National Audit Office has warned. The concerning message came in a critical report published today, which said the Department for Education should assess making controversial decisions about reducing […]

Nearly half of all colleges and schools with sixth forms have had to reduce student mental health and careers support this year due to crippling 16 to 19 government funding cuts. The concerning finding, revealed in a new funding impact survey of 278 schools and colleges by the Sixth Form Colleges Association, is a substantial […]

The National Audit Office has today published its report into whether the government’s apprenticeships programme is providing value for money. It is the second report by the NAO into apprenticeships since 2016, but the first since the introduction of the levy. FE Week has the report’s main new findings:   ESFA has ‘limited assurance’ the […]