FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Childcare supported for at least one more year

A scheme which supports thousands of teenage parents in further education has been reprieved – at least for a year. Care to Learn, which helps parents under 20 who meet the specific requirements claim up to £160-a-week for childcare and related transport cost, was last year put under review by the Department for Education (DfE). […]

WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show launches

If you were one of the many thousands of visitors to WorldSkills London 2011 last October it will come as no surprise as to why we are launching the UK’s first ever national skills event, WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show. Nearly 200,000 people visited WorldSkills London 2011 when the UK hosted it, making it […]

Where next for 14-19 vocational qualifications?

The Department for Education’s recent cull of more than 3,000 vocational qualifications taught in schools sparked a media response that exposed the bitter rift that continues to dog the thinking about our children’s education. The print and broadcast media fastened onto – and belittled – nail technology and fish farming as examples of worthless qualifications. […]

Jason Holt takes charge of employer-led review into SMEs and apprenticeships

Social entrepreneur and jeweller Jason Holt is to head-up an employer-led review into apprenticeships. Mr Holt, CEO of Holts Group of Companies, will speak to the sector about what can be done to encourage small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to hire an apprentice. Skills minister John Hayes announced the appointment earlier today. He said: […]

Youth unemployment on the rise despite apprenticeship initiatives

Youth unemployment rose by 22,000 in the three months leading up to December 2011, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The unemployment rate for people aged 16 to 24 rose to 22.2 per cent in the quarter, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from July to September 2011. The labour market statistics, published […]

Employers think apprenticeships are most suitable for young people, YouGov survey reveals

Less than three per cent of employers think an apprenticeship is most relevant to someone aged 22 or above, a YouGoV survey has revealed. The research, commissioned by Pearson in partnership with NIACE, asked more than 1,000 businesses what they thought of the apprenticeship programme. In contrast, 57 per cent of survey respondents said an […]

AELP backs minimum duration for young apprentices at end of #NAW2012

The new minimum length of delivery for all apprentices aged 16 to 18 has been backed by the head of the association of employment and learning providers (AELP). Graham Hoyle said the new policy, announced by John Hayes MP last December and effective from August 2012, reflects current industry practice. “We have of course already […]

BIS Select Committee to visit Sheffield for apprenticeship inquiry

The Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Select Committee has announced it will be visiting Sheffield as part or its ongoing inquiry into apprenticeships. The committee will hold a number of formal oral evidence sessions between March 5-6, 2012 with employers who promote or offer apprenticeships, as well as learners currently enrolled on apprenticeship schemes. Adrian […]

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