FE Week Reporter | FE Week

City College Norwich develops federation model

City College Norwich (CCN) is developing a federation model alongside two academies and a potential University Technical College (UTC), which will help share essential services and promote collaboration. Dick Palmer, principal of CCN, says their proposals include a shared services company which will be in charge of purchasing “basically everything other than teaching and learning.” […]

Gordon Birtwistle, MP for Burnley

Growing up in rural Lancashire, the young Gordon Birtwistle wanted to be a joiner and undertaker. But while he liked the idea of making coffins, he wasn’t quite so keen on the idea of working with dead bodies. “That was the job in those days; make the coffins, bury the people or burn them,” he […]

FE loans market research published by BIS

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has published a research paper detailing how learners feel about the upcoming “24+ Advanced Learning Loans” policy. The research, carried out by TNS BMRB, found that 74 per cent of learners aged 23 or above said “they at least might take a course” at level 3, while […]

FE is ‘very different kettle of fish’

The fast-approaching FE loans policy has been labelled as “very complex to implement”, “difficult to market” and cause for “real worry” from key figures in the sector. A roundtable debate, held at the FE Week office and attended by a representative from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the University and College Union […]

The future of adult learning

Tom Wilson, director, UnionLearn, TUC David Hughes, chief executive, NIACE Ever-rising levels of unemployment, lack of skills among sections of the population, equality, changing policy and funding rates are just some of the issues that those in further education need to battle on a daily basis. But how do they move forward? The […]

FE loans to be called “24+ Advanced Learning Loans”

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has revealed to FE Week that the new FE loans system will be called “24+ Advanced Learning Loans” when it’s introduced next year. A BIS spokesperson told FE Week: “It is important that the name for the loans reflects the type of learners and learning that it will apply […]

UKCES appoints four new commissioners

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has appointed four new commissioners. Gail Cartmail, assistant general secretary for Unite the Union, Scott Johnson, chief executive of Chas Smith Shopfitters Ltd, Toby Peyton-Jones, HR director at Siemens UK & North West Europe and Neil Mclean, chair of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership have […]

Derby College starts work on new Academy

Work has started on Derby College’s new £3.5 million Construction Academy in Pride Park which is due to open to students this September. The college is working with developers Cedar House to construct a 3,000 sq metre building on land currently owned by the Homes and Communities Agency and originally earmarked by former East Midlands […]

Chesterfield College staff set to strike

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at Chesterfield College today (Friday) voted to take industrial action in a row over jobs and pay. Nine in ten (88 per cent) of those who voted voted for strike action. A date for the action will be announced next week. The union’s action is in response to […]