FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Bright spark powers to electrician prize

A Telford College learner has won an electrician’s toolbelt for his outstanding achievement as an electrical student. Adam Hyett, 19, from Wolverhampton, was chosen by Telford’s lecturing staff after BG Electrical, which manufactures electrical wiring accessories in Shropshire, offered to sponsor an award for a student who had made an exceptional impact in academic and […]

Solving the merger mystery

A proposed college merger in the Midlands made the FE Week news pages earlier this year after the intervention of Skills Minister Matthew Hancock. Chris Henwood looks at the national picture of mergers over the past few years When Skills Minister Matthew Hancock sent a letter to every college chair and principal in England reminding […]

‘It makes life easier, but not always better’

K College was created from a merger of South Kent College and West Kent College. It is now being broken up and sold off. Interim principal Phil Frier explains why two shouldn’t always become one I have never been keen on mergers. I have been involved with two and on the edge of another, and […]

Power to the people

FE will continue to lurch from funding crisis to funding crisis until purchasing power is put in the hands of learners and employers, says Tom Bewick FE budgets are under severe pressure, so what better time to rethink how to protect learners, employers and communities from the cuts. I’m always staggered about how accepting the […]

Why colleges must consider all the options

College governors should consider merger only as a last resort, says Matthew Hancock. He explains why There have been far-reaching changes in the 20 years since colleges in England were incorporated. Since 2010 we have striven to create a more diverse sector that is open and transparent to its users, and that delivers higher standards […]

Spreading the good word

Eilis Bond tells why Plymouth’s finalists in the recent Brathay Challenge were determined to banish stereotypes surrounding apprenticeships Work has gone back to normal after a hectic and crazy six months leading up to the recent Brathay Challenge final, a national competition aimed at boosting the profile of apprenticeships. As part of the challenge, our […]

All eyes on the prize

Rather than pressing for funding powers, LEPs and local authorities could have greater impact by focusing on the quality and relevance of what is offered by colleges and other providers in their areas, says Andy Gannon Local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and local authorities have their eyes on adult skills funding, arguing that taking decisions locally […]

A culture of respect

Prompted by last week’s FE Week front-page report of bullying at the National Farrier Training Agency, Suze Clarke tells how students led the development of Middlesbrough College’s zero tolerance policy It’s a sad reality that bullying can permeate just about any human scenario — and FE is no exception. As the largest provider of post-16 […]

Who’s on your leadership bench?

Leadership development is standard practice in most blue chip companies, and yet is uncommon within FE. MidKent has decided to change that, as Adriana Temali-Smith explains Many of us battle daily with raising the aspirations of our students, but what about the aspirations of our staff? Do we actively encourage them to fully consider the […]