Author: Billy Camden

The government should fund the development of new higher level qualifications, paid for by a “higher technical levy” or top-slice from the apprenticeship levy, the Association of Colleges has said in a wide-ranging set of recommendations. In a new policy paper called ‘2030 and beyond: An upgraded Post-18 education system’, the association calls for a […]

Ofqual will allow T-level exams to be taken more than once throughout the assessment year – meaning students will not have to wait a whole year for retakes, after FE Week exposed sector leader fears. The exams regulator has also binned the idea of introducing a “working towards” grade for learners who narrowly fail the […]

The Construction Industry Training Board is trying to force colleges to enter “reverse subcontracting” arrangements where it charges “unfair” top-slices of at least 28 per cent even though it won’t be the prime. The bizarre deal, which the Association of Colleges believes would break government funding rules, has been thought up by the CITB after […]

Substantial T-level industry placements are expected to reduce the number of apprenticeships that employers offer, new Department for Education research has found. A major report, which included interviews with 120 employers, has this morning laid bare the major issues faced to make the key component of the new technical qualifications work. Employers reported that while […]

Forty students who were supposed to be inducted onto their A-levels today have been left “distraught” after Northampton College cancelled their courses a week before the start of term. In a fiery meeting about the decision this morning, of which the principal was allegedly “too busy” to attend, angry parents slammed the college’s timing. One […]

Anne Milton has posted a job advert looking for an apprentice to work in her parliamentary office which excludes candidates with a GCSE grade 4, even though it is considered a pass. The advert for a level three business and administration apprentice was published two days ago by the skills minister and states that applicants […]

Ofqual is “closely monitoring” an investigation being carried out by Training Qualifications UK into allegations of ‘copy and paste’ assessments, FE Week can reveal. Earlier this week the exams regulator said it was “looking into” concerns identified by Ofsted during a recent inspection of Northern Construction Training and Regeneration. The inspectorate’s report said it had […]

The skills minister offered a handwritten promise to the Association of Colleges that her “lobbying for FE continues” when delivering the news that there is no cash to fund a college staff pay rise. Anne Milton, who says she “constantly” fights the Treasury for more money, appeared sympathetic to the AoC’s case when responding to […]

Apprenticeship providers could be forced to stop recruiting students for several years, if judged to be making ‘insufficient progress’ in early monitoring visits from Ofsted, FE Week can reveal. Earlier this month the Education and Skills Funding Agency confirmed that any poor-performing provider with the rating in at least one of the themes under review […]