Billy Camden | FE Week

SFA in dock after hundreds of learners struggle to recover loans cash when provider collapses

Another highly profitable training provider has suddenly gone bust in mysterious circumstances, leaving hundreds of learners on the hook for thousands of pounds of student debt. John Frank Training, a London-based provider with a satellite office in Preston, went into liquidation on November 30, leaving no assets, despite recording a profit of £1.3 million in […]

College forced to stop recruiting apprentices

A college hit with an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating won’t appeal against the resulting ban from running apprenticeships, but says it will continue recruiting learners right up to the last minute. The Skills Funding Agency started allowing bodies to apply to join the new register of apprenticeship training providers last October, but those with the lowest […]

Winners from the National Apprenticeship Awards 2016 announced

Britain celebrated the best of its vocational education on Friday night, when the country’s top three apprentices and its six best employers were crowned the winners of the National Apprenticeship Awards. London’s Grosvenor House hosted a ceremony with the theme ‘Nation of Champions’, which showcased the success stories of individuals and employers. The victorious apprentices went through a tough process to […]

All eyes on tonight’s National Apprenticeships Awards

The UK’s most promising apprentices and best employers will tonight be crowned the winners of the National Apprenticeships Awards 2016. Nine apprentices and 18 employers will take centre stage at the ceremony in Grosvenor House, London, after battling it out to be recognised as the country’s most elite in each category. Winners of the awards, […]

Halfon denies picture ‘bleak’ for adult education in ‘night school’ debate

The skills minister has denied that the picture of adult education is “bleak”, as Labour MP David Lammy launched his campaign for a “renewed culture of night schools”. Mr Lammy led an adjournment debate in the House of Commons this afternoon on the future of adult education. He took the opportunity to call for a return to […]

Adult Education budget procurement process set to launch

The first ever procurement process for adult education budget contracts has been given the ministerial green light and is expected to begin within days. FE Week understands the plan has been given the go-ahead by the secretary of state for education, Justine Greening (pictured). The Skills Funding Agency first wrote to training providers in October and told […]

Government unwilling to take action on qualifications fraud fears

An awarding organisation that fell victim to a high-profile case of qualifications fraud has called on the government to set up an expert panel, amid fears that the problem has been swept under the carpet. Industry Qualifications wants the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy to work with examinations […]

Providers in limbo as ‘no date’ for adult education budget procurement launch

Providers have been left in the dark about when procurement for adult education budget contracts will be launched for the first time, after the government admitted it has “no date”. The Skills Funding Agency wrote to training providers in October and told them that their current AEB contracts will end this July – rather than […]

Late publication of ‘customer service’ guide for area reviews described as ‘beyond parody’

The government’s decision to publish today a “customer service” guide explaining what colleges can expect from area reviews – despite more than half of them having already finished – has been described as “beyond parody”. Release of the guidance came among a flurry of reports and recommendations from wave three of the area reviews, also published this […]