Author: Fraser Whieldon

Bids from two north-east colleges to merge with an embattled neighbour have been snubbed by the FE commissioner. FE Week understands that Newcastle College and Tyne Coast College were both in the frame to amalgamate with Gateshead College, which has been undergoing a structure and prospects appraisal with the FE commissioner after a £6 million […]

Government efforts to increase apprenticeship take-up by black, Asian and minority ethnic young people have been slammed as a “national disgrace”. New FE Week analysis shows that the proportion of BAME 16- to 18-year-old apprentices is falling and made up just 7.7 per cent of starts in the first three-quarters of 2019/20, compared to over […]

The winner of the Share the Love (Our Colleges) competition has been announced by the Association of Colleges as a jam-packed Colleges Week 2020 draws to a close.  A heart made of scrap metal, forged at Cornwall College (pictured), was picked to win the £500 prize because it “stood out and it was really clear […]

The British Army has been named the best apprentice employer in England in a new list of ‘Top 100 Apprentice Employers’ published by the government.  The Department for Education today released the list, which includes Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in the second-place spot, ahead of the Royal Navy, BT, and MTR Elizabeth Line which is constructing the […]

The Department for Education is assembling a new team of legislators to implement education secretary Gavin Williamson’s “ambitious vision” for reform in the upcoming FE white paper. Job adverts went out earlier this month for two officers, one senior officer, one lead and one manager for a parliamentary team to work on the new Bill […]

A major business representative group has called on the government to end its “failed experiment” of the apprenticeship levy.  The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) made the demand in its ‘Learning for life: Funding a world-class adult education system’ report, released today, which says nine in ten people will need new skills by 2030.  Many […]

The digital skills bootcamps announced with the prime minister’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee could lead to adult education budget provision being elbowed aside by training paid for through the National Skills Fund. A total of £8 million is being spent on the short courses in IT subjects such as cloud services, digital for advanced manufacturing and […]

The Department for Education looks to have relaxed the requirement for public bodies to publish their progress towards the 2.3 per cent apprenticeship target, claiming it is merely “good practice”. It comes after FE Week found scores of multi-academy trusts, councils and hospital trusts had failed to publicise what percentage of their staff had started […]