Billy Camden | FE Week

Tripling traineeships target missed by half, and 3 other findings from today’s Plan for Jobs progress report

The government has missed its target to triple the number of traineeships by more than half, a new report has revealed. And the number of new apprenticeships that have been created following the launch of employer cash incentives fell 15,000 short of the government’s 100,000 target. The Treasury revealed the figures in a progress report […]

Asymptomatic testing of FE students to continue for the rest of term

Ministers publish Covid autumn and winter plan

‘Better late than never’: 16-18 traineeships tender to launch ‘later this month’

The news comes two days after Treasury revealed they had missed their target to triple the number of starts by more than half

Troubleshooter takes the reins at newly formed college

A newly formed college has appointed an experienced troubleshooter as its interim chief executive. City of Portsmouth College, which launched last month following a merger between Portsmouth College and crisis-hit Highbury College, has named Graham Morley as its new leader. He takes over from the college’s current interim chief, Penny Wycherley, who stepped in to […]

‘Excellent’ college principal retires due to ill health

A long-standing college principal has retired with immediate effect due to a terminal illness. John Callaghan, who has led Solihull College & University Centre for the past seven years, stepped down yesterday. He has worked in the further education and skills sector for over 33 years, holding roles at four different colleges as well as […]

School and college leaders demand £5.8bn catch-up cash for poorer students

Education bosses have set out proposals for a £5.8 billion Covid recovery plan, including a £300 million three-year post-16 “premium”. In a letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson, representative bodies for colleges and schools warn that failure to adopt their proposals risks “serious long-term damage” from the pandemic. The plan, also backed by academy trust […]

DfE to evaluate impact of 16-19 Covid tuition fund

The government is planning to evaluate its subsidised tuition scheme for 16-to-19-year-olds – after almost a quarter of eligible providers opted out of the fund in its first year. A prior information notice has been issued by the Department for Education to alert researchers that they will soon tender for a supplier to measure the […]

New £75 ‘connectivity support grants’: What you need to know

Colleges will be able to claim back money to help disadvantaged students absent due to Covid get online in the new academic year under a new “connectivity support grant” scheme, the government has announced. But the Department for Education has warned it may reject claims for funding if disruption reported by colleges does not match […]

‘Indefensible’: No national insurance help for colleges despite support for schools

The government will not compensate colleges for national insurance contribution increases even though it is helping schools, FE Week can reveal. The “indefensible” move will hit college budgets by an estimated £30 million. Boris Johnson this week set out plans to increase national insurance contributions from both employees and employers by 1.25 percentage points from […]