Author: Expert Contributor

Only by employers and educators working closely together can the UK’s chronic and increasing skills gap be closed, says Sandra Kelly Employers must take ownership of the skills agenda to ensure that vocational programmes reflect what industry really wants and needs. The recent funding-band cuts across multiple sectors just go to show how important it […]

What is the answer to the inevitable overspend of the apprenticeship levy pot? Adrian Anderson has some constructive suggestions This week, ministers floated the idea of using an eligibility starting salary cap as a way of limiting demand for apprenticeships and thereby preventing an overspend of the apprenticeship levy pot. The precise impact of such […]

A lack of job security in further, adult and prison education is making an army of workers mentally and physically ill – and forcing many to take on a second job to make ends meet, says Andrew Harden Staff on insecure contracts working in further, adult and prison education are holding down multiple jobs to […]

Don’t force young people to choose solely between A and T level, argues Bill Watkin. Instead, let’s understand that T-levels and AGQs co-exist, serving different purposes for different people The arguments in favour of Applied General Qualifications (AGQs) are well rehearsed. They offer an alternative academic route to higher education, a closer relationship between classroom […]

Further education will need to contend with scrutiny from the Office for Students to access funding prescribed by the Augar review, says Martin Vincent The Augar Review’s recommendations have the potential to address deep-seated imbalances in post-18 education and put colleges on more equal footing with universities, both in terms of prestige and funding. However, […]

If there are not enough willing employers capable of designing and delivering good-quality work placements, T-levels may prove to be an expensive, very public flop, warns Ewart Keep Everyone knew from the outset that T-level work placements would be a major challenge for the new courses that kick in this September, and delivering them will […]

Spectacular failures could be the cost for a more innovative FE sector, says Mick Fletcher. But is it a price worth paying? Hadlow College is the first to experience the Department for Education’s new college bankruptcy regime, but we can be fairly certain that it won’t be the last. After all, the government wouldn’t have […]

As we contemplate the future of the skills system, let’s think in terms of devolution and localisation, says Ewart Keep The Skills Commission is currently engaged in an inquiry into the future of the skills system. How do recent policy developments, such as the expansion of the apprenticeship scheme, the devolution of the Adult Education […]

The chance for local people to have more of a say in adult education looks like a non-starter, says Lawrence Barton The planned devolution of the adult education budget (AEB) heralds a significant advancement of adult education services, but early signs of inertia and mismanagement before the August 1 handover date signals an early death […]