Author: FE Week Reporter

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Every learner in the English FE and skills sector deserves to be taught by qualified teachers and trainers — and that the right should remain in law, says Toni Fazaeli The issue of teaching qualifications has been in the news again, following Stephen Twigg’s announcement that if Labour wins the next election, all teachers will […]