Billy Camden | FE Week

Bitter war of words intensifies between AELP and IfA

The Institute for Apprenticeships is the “biggest threat” to quality in apprenticeships, the boss of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers has warned – in the latest war of words between the two organisations. Mark Dawe’s (pictured above) comment came this morning during an education select committee hearing, in which he claimed the institute […]

AoC Sport National Championships kicking off for their 40th year

The biggest sporting event in the college calendar promises to be extra special this year, as the AoC Sport National Championships celebrates its 40th anniversary with nearly 2,000 student athletes. As they did for the 2017 finals, the sporting stars will head to Nottingham this weekend to compete in the major event after qualifying through […]

The Skills Show rebrands as WorldSkills UK LIVE

The country’s biggest skills and careers event is getting a revamp and changing its name. Formerly known as The Skills Show, the event, which attracted 70,000 visitors last year, will from today be known as WorldSkills UK LIVE. The change has been made to align it more closely with the brand of the company that […]

CITB finds almost three quarters of Carillion apprentices new employers

Almost three quarters of the apprentices left jobless following the collapse of Carillion have secured new employment, following an “extraordinary effort” by the construction industry over the last month. At first, 700 were offered alternative apprenticeships by the end of January, after the outsourcing giant entered liquidation on the 15th. But attempts to move more […]

Catholic sixth-form colleges demand academisation protection

Frustration is reaching boiling point at Catholic sixth-form colleges over barriers to converting to academy status. Becoming an academy, and in doing so enjoying the luxury of not paying VAT, has been an option for nearly all SFCs since former chancellor George Osborne changed the rules in November 2015. However, a group of 14 which […]

£73m unspent adult education budget funding is absurd

The adult education budget has been significantly cut over the last decade, to the annual £1.5 billion it is today. And, we are told, as a result there are colleges in financial turmoil, training providers losing out in ESFA tenders, and ESOL courses with waiting lists in the thousands. Yet this week we reveal that […]

Quality of FE teacher training is ‘high’ but falling numbers are ‘a challenge’, research finds

The quality of FE teacher training has continued at an extremely high standard, but falling numbers joining the profession is proving a significant “challenge”, new research has found. The Education and Training Foundation has today published its fourth annual report examining the provision and take-up of initial teacher education in the FE sector. It found […]

Topslice criticism for college given extra £1.6m adult education funding

The college that topped the funding tables during the adult education budget procurement has been awarded an extra £1.6 million for growth – even though it plans to subcontract it all with hefty top-slices. Independent providers, forced for the first time to tender for all their AEB funding, were aghast in November after FE Week […]

Former ESFA boss Peter Lauener to chair CITB

Peter Lauener is taking on yet another job next month, this time as chair of the Construction Industry Training Board at the request of the skills minister. The former boss of both the ESFA and the Institute for Apprenticeships, once dubbed the busiest man in FE, will take up the role at the organisation on […]