FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Apprenticeship policy doesn’t address “issues of quality and progression”, says Gordon Marsden MP

Gordon Marsden MP, Shadow Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, spoke to FE Week about the government’s recent apprenticeship announcements. Q) What do you make of the announcement, made by John Hayes MP, that all 16-18 apprenticeships must last at least a year? On the substance of the announcement, I think it is […]

Apprenticeship inquiry calls for evidence

The Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Select Committee is calling for evidence ahead of an inquiry into apprenticeships. Written evidence can be submitted to the Committee up until February 03, 2012, using the email address biscommem@parliament.uk. The terms of reference, used to shape the inquiry in the new year, are listed below: * How successful […]

Apprenticeship quality tackled

A shake-up of apprenticeships will see all programmes for 16 to 18 year-olds take place for at least a year. Skills minister John Hayes revealed the new measure, which comes into place from August 2012, during a debate on apprenticeships at the House of Commons on Monday. He also revealed that delivery models must include […]

All 16-18 apprenticeships to last at least one year

All apprenticeships for 16 to 18 year-olds must last at least a year, Skills Minister John Hayes MP will announce in the House of Commons today. Mr Hayes is expected to say that all new apprenticehips must take place for a minimum of 12 months from August 2012, and include a ‘rigorous’ amount of job-relevant […]

SFA calls for reduction in apprentices aged 25 and over

The recruitment of new apprentices aged 25 and above is being actively discouraged in a new funding document published by the Skills Funding Agency. The report, published by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) on Friday, states: “Providers should address the needs of younger learners, those with lower skills and those who are unemployed. “Within the […]

Jobs saved as National Extension College sold

An arm of the crisis hit Learning and Skills Network (LSN) has been sold. Ian Oakley-Smith, David Hurst and Karen Dukes of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the administrators of LSN, have revealed this afternoon that National Extension College (NEC) has been bought by the Open School Trust. As previously revealed by FE Week, the LSN went into administration last month […]

Skills are the key at sustainable employment conference

Unemployment has returned to politics with a vengeance. The number of young people not in employment, education or training continues to rise across the country, fuelling concerns of a ‘lost generation’ that will impact the future growth of the economy. The opportunities for adults with minimal qualifications is similarly bleak. The solution is to implement […]

Youth unemployment at new record high

Figures released this morning show UK youth unemployment is at the highest level since 1992 – just one month after the previous record was set. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed there were 1.03 million unemployed 16 to 24 year olds in the three months to October 2011, which is up 54,000 from the […]

NAO report critical of BIS and SFA bureaucracy reform

Government efforts to reduce bureaucracy in further education (FE) lack clarity and the complete picture, according to a report released today. Issued by the National Audit Office (NAO), ‘Reducing bureaucracy in further education in England’ is critical of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Skills Funding Agency (SFA) approach to reform. It […]