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13 April 2026

Author: Billy Camden

GLA adult education admin costs soar to meet new corporate overhead charges

The cost of managing and administering the Greater London Authority’s adult education budget may soon reach almost £6 million. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (pictured) was criticised by college principals in 2019 after he took control of the AEB for the capital but announced plans to top-slice £3 million of it annually to hire and […]

Shane Chowen announced as new FE Week editor

Shane Chowen has been appointed as the new editor of FE Week. He will take the reins in August from Nick Linford, who is returning to writing FE funding and data blogs, publishing technical guides and expanding his workshops and webinars. Chowen is currently the East and West Midlands area director at the Association of […]

Ofsted finds learners unaware they are on an apprenticeship

A private provider has been suspended from taking on new learners after Ofsted found a “few cases” of apprentices who did not know they were enrolled on an apprenticeship. Inspectors also claimed that a “minority” of employers who work with NextStep Training Limited are not aware that apprentices should have time in work for off-the-job […]

Easing Covid restrictions: What FE providers need to know

The government plans to remove bubbles and social distancing rules in FE providers from July 19, the education secretary confirmed today. Gavin Williamson told the House of Commons that most Covid-19 restrictions in education settings will be eased under step 4 of lockdown. Department for Education guidance for colleges and FE providers has also been […]

‘Policy not politics’: New Ofqual boss attempts to play down independence fears

Jo Saxton has said she would “absolutely speak out” as Ofqual boss if she felt any government decisions were going to “undermine the interests” of students after being quizzed over her independence by MPs today. Education secretary Gavin Williamson named Saxton, his policy adviser and a former academy trust boss, as his preferred candidate for […]

Winners of delayed £18m skills bootcamp tender revealed

The training providers and colleges chosen to deliver the remaining national skills bootcamp programmes have finally been named. FE Week can today reveal that 24 organisations have won funding in the government’s £18 million tender. Among them are 13 independent providers, six colleges, four mayoral combined authorities or local enterprise partnerships, and one university. FE […]

Sluggish start for government’s free IT qualifications

Take-up of the government’s flagship free digital skills qualifications, which will replace all low-level IT courses studied annually by over 100,000 people from next month, flopped in their first year. Announced five years ago and finally launched last August as a free “entitlement” alongside English and math courses, just 270 people had achieved an Essential […]

ESFA chief executive Eileen Milner to stand down

The chief executive of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Eileen Milner is to stand down, FE Week can reveal. The senior civil servant told staff today that the “time has come” for her to “go to a new challenge”. Milner was appointed in 2017 shortly after the organisation formed through the merger of […]