Fraser Whieldon | FE Week

International partnerships announced to boost post-pandemic skills recovery

WorldSkills UK is signing up to a host of partnerships with overseas counterparts which will mean greater sharing of skills expertise and more pressure testing for our competitors. Today will see the UK formally sign its first partnership with Chinese Taipei, which will lead to representatives from Taipei speaking at the WorldSkills UK International Skills […]

Meet WorldSkills UK’s new Skills Taskforce for Global Britain

A team of education and business leaders have been assembled to drive the use of skills in “levelling up” and attracting investment to the UK economy. The Skills Taskforce for Global Britain, commissioned and supported by but independent of WorldSkills UK and accountancy firm EY, is being launched at the former organisation’s virtual International Skills […]

Second national college officially dissolves

The flagship national college for HS2 has been officially closed by ministers after facing insolvency, and relaunched as a subsidiary of a university. The National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure (NCATI), which has campuses in Birmingham and Doncaster, today announced its FE corporation dissolved on 29 April. It has now been reformed as a […]

Six key findings from Ofqual’s survey of teachers on 2020 grading

A third of FE and school staff felt “undue pressure” on their professional judgment when issuing exam grades in 2020, according to an Ofqual survey. The exams regulator has published a report on a survey and interviews conducted with FE and school staff after the grading process in 2020, which it said were used to […]

Academy trust comes to UTC’s rescue

Another university technical college in financial difficulty is seeking to shelter inside a multi-academy trust after recruiting fewer than half its target number of students. Bristol and South Gloucestershire UTC, also known as Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy (BTEA) and based in Stoke Gifford, is awaiting sign-off from ministers to join The Olympus Academy Trust […]

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 353

Your weekly guide to who’s new and who’s leaving. Esther Chesterman, Chief executive, National Extension College Start date: April 2021 Previous job: General manager, NCC Education Ltd Interesting fact: During March, she and her daughter walked 500 miles to support Global Girl Project, a charity she is trustee of. Dr Jenifer Moody, Non-executive director, Energy […]

WorldSkills centres expand to ITPs

A new teacher development programme run by WorldSkills UK is being expanded to independent and employer providers. From Monday until June 4, the organisation – which puts up teams of skilled young people against other nations at international ‘Skills Olympics’ events – will be accepting applications for the second wave of its Centre of Excellence […]

Apprenticeship levy funding: the truth is out there

A major problem for apprenticeship levy watchers and commentators is that the government not only refuses to share spending data – it is failing to properly explain how the policy works. As a result, this week a national newspaper was persuaded by an organisation with vested interests to report that the policy was “wasteful”, claiming […]

Banned: 9 firms join the ‘suspended’ list on the apprenticeships register

Peterborough Skills Limited has become the latest apprenticeships provider to be banned from taking on new starts after being reprimanded by Ofsted. FE Week analysis shows the east of England-based firm is one of nine providers to have been slapped with suspensions on the register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP) in the past 12 months, […]