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7 April 2026

Author: Expert Contributor

Our new approach to funding apprenticeships will provide better value for money

A new approach to funding apprenticeships will provide better value for money so that people can benefit from the training opportunities on offer and progress in their careers, says Anne Milton I have spoken a lot about the important changes we are making to improve the quality of apprenticeships in this country. One of the […]

It is time for joined-up thinking on adult education

Much of the talk about adult education has been around the devolved budget and whether it’s being spent effectively. With 72 administrators hired to manage the London adult education budget – to the tune of £3 million – these are important questions. However, less well discussed are the issues of why adult education is often […]

How to build a collaborative college culture

Good leadership is all about relationships and taking people with you, says Steve Frampton, President of Portsmouth College for 13 years and now President of the Association of Colleges I firmly believe that the fundamentals of good leadership are all about relationships – you have to take people with you. With this in mind, here […]

The funding band reviews are a good model for the future

Following the success of the funding band reviews, the Institute for Apprenticeships will use the same collaborative approach to carry out quality reviews, declares Sir Gerry Berragan Reviews have been a focus for the Institute for Apprenticeships in recent weeks. As we look to make our final recommendations for the funding band review, we’re also […]

We need three post-16 pathways: A-levels, T-levels and applied generals

Two post-16 education pathways are not enough: we need an academic route, an occupational route and a career route, argues Rod Bristow There is a strong consensus in education that we need to do more to offer people a clear pathway to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to succeed at work. That’s why support […]

We must tell the chancellor FE needs more, not less funding

Further education is being asked to find more cuts, despite already being under-funded. Let’s fight back by insisting on fair funding for 16–18 education, retorts James Kewin To paraphrase the former Labour prime minister Harold Wilson, a day is a long time in politics. On Tuesday, Damian Hinds used a speech at the Resolution Foundation to set […]

New quality assurance rules will create a tiered apprenticeship system

The latest announcements on quality assurance of end-point assessments are a game-changer for assessment organisations – some standards will now be regulated more stringently than others, predicts Terry Fennell Things just got serious for end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs) delivering standards that are externally quality assured by Ofqual, with new enforceable rules coming into effect on […]

Post-16 segregation threatens ‘parity of esteem’ for technical education

Post-16 pathways are increasingly segregated, which risks damaging the government’s ambitions for technical education to be treated with parity of esteem, argues David Robinson Where do disadvantaged young people go after they leave secondary school, and what does this mean for social mobility in England? Today the Education Policy Institute sheds light on this question […]

Why good governance is crucial for ITPs

The AELP’s new code of governance is a chance for training providers big and small to think about how they comply with best practice, observes Nichola Hay Governance is a hot topic right now. Only a week after I spoke on the subject at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ national conference, Ofsted’s chief […]