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13 May 2026

Author: FE Week Reporter

Student from Central Sussex College wins recording contract at Open Mic contest

Talented Central Sussex College music student Shak Forbes is celebrating after being named winner of the Open Mic UK competition. The 16-year-old won the national search for new young music talent at the O2 after blowing the judges away with his original rap performance of Mac Miller’s ‘Best Day Ever’, backed by a full choir. […]

Police donate broken bicycles for Doncaster College repair qualification

Doncaster College is working with South Yorkshire Police to get a new course up and running. The qualification, which looks at the repair of bicycles, could not run at the college due to the lack of damaged bicycles they had, for the students to repair as part of the course. To help, the force has […]

Recipe for success at Vision West Notts

More than £1,000 was raised when a principal cooked up an Indian-inspired treat for Association of Colleges (AoC) chief exeuctive Martin Doel. Vision West Notts principal and chief executive Asha Khemka donned her chef’s whites to prepare and serve authentic Asian cuisine to business people and college staff to boost funds for her Inspire and […]

SFA to be investigated for alleged data ‘cover-up’

The government’s performance comparison site for further education is under heavy scrutiny after an investigation by FE Week into unannounced changes. FE Choices, formerly known as the Framework for Excellence, was published by the Data Service, a part of the Skills Funding Agency, on January 26, but is now the focus of three inquiries. FE […]

Open evening at East Berkshire College draws a crowd and really packs a punch

Former world champion boxer Barry McGuigan visited East Berkshire College to meet budding young boxers and highlight sport as a route to learning. The boxing legend welcomed prospective students to the College’s Barry McGuigan Boxing Academy (BMBA), signed autographs, answered questions and delivered a special workshop for budding young boxers. More than 600 visitors attended […]

Bolton College step up to the crease with Lancashire County Cricket Club

Visually impaired learners at Bolton College were given an afternoon of Blind Cricket coaching by Lancashire County Cricket Club. The Club is supporting a campaign to raise awareness of cricket for the visually impaired and blind by encouraging more people to participate in the sport. Of the 12 learners who took part, seven have signed […]

Professionalising welfare-to-work is important

Historically the welfare-to-work industry, which employs in the region of 20,000 people, has had no occupational standards or designated Sector Skills Council, no required entry qualifications or recognised professional qualifications. Very little of the training for the employability sector’s workforce that has been delivered has been externally accredited. Various pieces of research highlighted the need […]

Promoting the positive in Functional Skills

Learners like them, teachers like them, employers like them. This is the message we are hearing from the field. Of course, not all teachers and not all providers are on board, but those that have grasped that the Functional Skills qualifications offer learners a better deal are beginning to develop a sense of excitement. But, […]

Reflecting on National Apprenticeship Week

Last year, I launched National Apprenticeship Week 2011 by saying that I wanted to create the biggest and best apprenticeships programme in our country’s history. Thanks to record Government investment, the commitment of British firms, tough measures to drive up standards and the hard work and dedication of FE & Skills professionals, I’m proud to […]