FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Herefordshire College of Technology go green and win award with sustainable cafe

A college’s café has been handed a prestigious award. The Straw Bale Café at Herefordshire College of Technology’s (HCT) Holme Lacy Campus received recognition at the West of England LABC Awards by winning the ‘Technical Innovation’ category in the local and most recently, the national finals. The LABC awards are all about excellence achieved through […]

Ben Cohen stands up for anti-bullying charity

A rugby hero was back on home turf to spend the day with college students promoting an important message. Celebrated England Rugby World Cup winner and former Northampton Saints player Ben Cohen raised awareness of his new anti-bullying charity – Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation – at Northampton College. The aim of the foundation is to […]

Kingston College scores celeb endorsement for UK’s first ever women’s football academy

A star footballer was on hand at a college to kick-off the UK’s first-ever women’s football academy. England international Alex Scott officially opened the new Kingston College Women’s Football Academy in partnership with Puma. The Alex Scott Academy is the first academy of its kind in the UK and highlights the growth of the women’s […]

South Essex College students inspired by back stage tour of Red Hot Chili Peppers gig

A group of students went behind the scenes at one of the hottest gigs in town. Four Media and Creative Arts students from South Essex College took not so much centre stage, but more backstage, as they headed to the American rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers’ gig at the O2 last week. The get-ins, rigging […]

Adult FE and skills learners fall 411,000

Provisional figures published in the October Statistical First Release show that the number of learners classed as participating in the Adult (19+) FE and skills sector fell 411,300 (-12 per cent) in 2010/11. This included a fall of 67,000 (-9 per cent) for learners participating in Adult Safeguarded Learning (ASL), from 752,800 in 2009/10 to […]

Westminster Kingsway College sees golden opportunity for employment at Olympics

A college opened its doors to help a community realise its Olympic dream. Westminster Kingsway College welcomed Lord Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), at the Camden Council Employment and Skills Opportunities Fair. It was held to ensure residents and students in Camden are aware of the […]

Look beneath the funding rates and ‘complification’ is everywhere

The Skills Funding Agency is very proud of themselves, and they will want to share their success. They will tell you repeatedly that in 2013/14 (assuming they still exist after the recently announced review) more than 7,000 different qualification rates will be just 30 (see table below right). This, they will say, is proof. That’s […]

Newcastle College Group ‘merge’ with Rathbone

One of the largest educational providers in the country is on the verge of adding another arm to its portfolio. Subject to Skills Funding Agency approval, Rathbone, a UK-wide voluntary youth sector charity, will merge with NCG, formerly Newcastle College Group, which currently comprises Newcastle College, West Lancashire College and the Intraining Group. Rathbone will […]

Sector leaders gather for the AoC conference

It is the biggest event in the FE calendar – the a chance for colleges managers and leaders to discuss policy and swap innovative ideas. But when the Association of College’s (AoC) Annual Conference rolls into Birmingham tomorrow, what will be the key message? Although a quick scan of the programme shows a wealth of […]