Billy Camden | FE Week

Forced college mergers – and other Skills Bill revelations

New powers are set to be handed to the education secretary to force college mergers, an impact assessment of the Skills Bill has revealed. The document has been published ahead of the actual Skill and Post-16 Education Bill, which has been laid in the House of Lords today. It lists off 12 measures included in […]

Keegan: DfE still worried about ‘middle-class grab’ on apprenticeships

Fears that university-goers will choose to do apprenticeships instead and “squeeze out” those from disadvantaged backgrounds are still rife in Whitehall, the skills minister has said. Gillian Keegan told the House of Commons education select committee this displacement is a particular worry when it comes to degree apprenticeships. Her concern comes three years after her […]

Skills Bill to reveal extent government taking back control of colleges

The scope of new powers for the education secretary to intervene where colleges are deemed to be “failing” their communities will be revealed today. The first draft of the new Skills and Post-16 Education Bill will be laid before parliament this afternoon. It follows last week’s Queen’s speech and will legislate for reforms set out […]

DfE launches £83m fund to ‘future proof’ places for 16-19s

A new £83 million fund has been launched to ensure colleges can accommodate an expected demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds. The “Post-16 Capacity fund” was promised in chancellor Rishi Sunak’s spending review in November and has opened for bids today. However, independent training providers and school sixth forms have been excluded. Only sixth form […]

School catering firm furloughed tutors despite going on apprentice hiring spree

A major school catering supplier has been slated by Ofsted for hiring apprentices during the pandemic only to place their tutors on furlough. Inspectors found that, as a result, almost all apprentices at Aspens Services Limited in Worcester are asked to complete assessments before any learning takes place. Some apprentices had to wait for four […]

‘Skills taxonomy’: new algorithm planned to seek out skills cold spots

A government tender has revealed plans to develop a “skills taxonomy” that could sit at the heart of Department for Education proposals to dictate college courses. Ministers want a new algorithm developed to map England’s skills shortages, with experts predicting it will play a key role in putting local skills improvement plans (LSIPs) together. Beginning […]

Loans provider slammed for accepting ‘identical’ learner work

A new FE loans provider where tutors accept suspected copy-and-paste assignments from learners has been slammed by Ofsted. Inspectors warned that a significant amount of written work submitted by different students at London Cactus Limited is “identical”. Tutors “accept the work at face value, without verifying that learners have completed the work themselves”. Ofsted also […]

Winners of £18m bootcamps tender revealed

The providers chosen to deliver the government’s flagship national technical skills bootcamps have been named. FE Week can reveal 18 organisations, including 11 independent providers – two of which are owned by education giant City & Guilds – two universities, one council and just four colleges, have won funding in the £18 million tender. Association […]

Spielman set for two-year extension as Ofsted chief inspector

Amanda Spielman is set to stay on as Ofsted chief inspector for an extra two years, FE Week‘s sister title FE Week understands. While the extension to the role is believed to have been agreed by government, it still has to be officially signed off by the Privy Council, the queen’s formal body of advisers. […]