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23 April 2026

Author: Billy Camden

AEB devolution gets step closer as first pre-tender exercise launched

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has become the first devolved area to launch a pre-procurement exercise for the adult education budget. Ahead of its takeover of the AEB for its region in 2019/20, the authority is asking local training provides to take part in market research to help it draft and formulate a tender specification. […]

Institute for Apprenticeships’ T-level takeover delayed, again

A second delay to when the Institute for Apprenticeships will take responsibility for T-levels has been confirmed. According to the institute’s business plan for 2018/19, published today, it only expects to have agreed a “full implementation timetable” for taking on the new technical qualifications by next March. It was originally meant to take control of […]

Ex-principal paid £80k for gardening leave amid staff redundancy push

A former Sussex principal is being paid around £80,000 not to work over a five-month period even though the college is in a financial mess and cutting down on staff. The University and College Union is appalled, branding the situation “unacceptable”. Mike Hopkins left the top spot at Sussex Downs College in March, placed on […]

Movers and Shakers: Edition 250

Your weekly guide to who’s new and who’s leaving Dr Liz Lee, Head of college, Richard Taunton Sixth-Form College Start date September 2018 Previous job Deputy principal, Richard Taunton SFC Interesting fact Liz, who has a PhD, used to be a midwife. Bev Jessop, Principal and chief executive, Queen Alexandra College Start date June 2018 Previous job Vice-principal, Queen Alexandra […]

Spotlight on 16-year-olds as NEETs rise and level 2 apprenticeships fall

A sharp fall in the number of 16-year-olds taking up level two apprenticeships is being blamed for a startling rise in people of that age who are not in education, employment or training. Provisional ‘participation’ figures for the year ending 2017 released by the Department for Education this morning show that the proportion of 16-year-olds […]

Journalism bosses hit out at apprenticeship training blockage

Media bosses have criticised the “red tape” that surrounds the government’s apprenticeships register, seemingly preventing providers from training journalists. In a letter to skills minister Anne Milton, the Society of Editors raised “serious concerns” over access to apprenticeship levy funds for media outlets. The problem specifically relates to the way the register of apprenticeship training […]

Post-18 education review panel will try to fix HE and FE funding imbalance

There is a funding imbalance between academic and vocational routes – and the post-18 education review panel is aiming to fix it. Philip Augar (pictured), chair of the group, said a funding disparity “particularly” in the FE sector was a main theme found in the responses to the post-18 review consultation. Addressing delegates on day […]

Three quarters of providers unhappy with non-levy apprenticeship funding

Almost three quarters of training providers are unhappy with the amount of non-levy apprenticeship funding available, claiming it is “insufficient” to meet demand from small businesses. A new AELP survey, published on the second day of its national conference in London, reveals that the apprenticeship money set aside for SMEs this year is vastly lacking. […]

Ofsted: New apprenticeship provider monitoring visits a ‘concern’

The results of the early monitoring visits to new apprenticeship providers are “concerning”, Ofsted’s deputy director for FE has said, after a quarter were given ‘insufficient progress’ verdicts. Paul Joyce (pictured) hit out at the newcomers in his speech at the AELP conference today, asserting that apprentices “deserve better than that”. “Our monitoring visits to […]