FE Week Reporter | FE Week

A closer look at non-traditional delivery models

In the last few weeks, the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) revealed to FE Week that a review was underway into short apprenticeships. Delivery models, the NAS said, which do not come up to scratch with specific guidance in the Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England (SASE) may need to change or face the loss of […]

Concerns over funding for FE teacher training

Questions have been raised over the further education (FE) sector’s ability to attract experts into teaching in the face of proposed government reforms. The Institute for Learning (IfL) has expressed concerns about proposed teacher training reforms and the implications of funding changes for initial teacher training (ITT). In responses to two government consultations – Attracting, training and retaining the […]

Learning and Skills Network in administration

A charity with more than 25 years experience in the education sector has been placed into administration. Ian Oakley-Smith, David Hurst and Karen Dukes of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) were appointed joint administrators of Learning and Skills Network (LSN) on Thursday. The charity, with a turnover of around £13 million for 2010/11, employs 117 staff and is based in London […]

How would you survive without ‘Mickey Mouse’?

What harm has Mickey Mouse ever done to anyone? No, I can’t think of anything either … so how has poor Mickey’s name become associated with the worthless and the risible? Back in the summer the Sunday Express gave us this: “…a stark warning from the British Chamber of Commerce: do not go to university […]

Inspections for sale. Whose bright idea was that!?

Time is running out to respond to Ofsted’s consultation on its new Common Inspection Framework proposals. The deadline is November 24 so if you’re thinking about adding your two-penneth, you need to get your skates on. This is a rare opportunity to pass judgment on Ofsted (doesn’t normally happen that way around). After reading the […]

FE Week mini-mascot (Edition 8)

Follow the adventures of FE Week’s biggest and smallest fan! Mostly this week I have been facing forward in my new car seat!” And also you can follow our FE Week mini-mascot on Twitter @daniellinford

Colleges to keep left-over funding

Clawback will be waived for providers who have delivered 97 per cent or more of their targets, the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has revealed. The SFA, in Issue 81 of their updates weekly bulletin, say they have agreed principles for managing 2010/11 funding outturn for all grant-funded providers. This is subject to the final data […]

Train to Gain volumes prove ‘lesson in government-speak’

The number of learners starting workplace learning continues to thrive despite the government’s focus on increasing apprenticeships. The number of new starts in Train to Gain/ Workplace learning fell to 444,700 in 2010/11, a figure still higher than the record number of new apprentices, a total of 442,700, praised by the government last week (see […]

BIS to review SFA and role of their Chief Executive

Transparency and accountability will be the joint focus of a review launched this week into the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). But while its aim is defined, the mechanisms of the review are unclear, with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), and the SFA both tight-lipped when questioned by FE Week. Also unknown is […]