Fraser Whieldon | FE Week

IfA chief ‘stepping down’, claims headhunters

The chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) will step down when his contract is up, FE Week understands. In an email seen by this paper, the headhunters Gatenby Sanderson said Sir Gerry Berragan would not reapply for the post he has held for the past 16 months. He refused to […]

Ofsted watch: Private provider straight in with grade one

It’s been a week of mainly highs for FE as one provider was rated ‘outstanding’ in its first ever inspection, while another was found making ‘significant progress’ across the board in an early monitoring visit. The week wasn’t without its lows, however, as several providers scored ‘insufficient progress’ ratings in their own monitoring reports. White […]

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 275

Your weekly guide to who’s new and who’s leaving. Lorraine Hill, Chief finance officer, City College Plymouth Start date: March 2019 Previous job: Director of business and finance, Treviglas Academy Interesting fact: She loves to watch cookery programmes, but her husband is in charge of cooking at home. Koen Lamberts, Chair of the board of trustees, UCAS Start date: September 2019 […]

The numbers expose the truth – level 6 and 7 is mostly ‘dead weight’ and unaffordable

This week the Association of Employment and Learning Providers called on the government to stop subsidising all level 6 and 7 apprenticeships. Their proposal is radical because big employers have lapped up the opportunity to develop and have subsidised many expensive professional level apprenticeships to replace existing training schemes. Take the level six accountancy / […]

Stop levy funding for all level 6 and 7 apprenticeships, demands training providers

All level six and seven apprenticeships, including those with integrated degrees, should be removed from the scope of levy funding to relieve mounting pressure on the budget, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers has said. The radical proposal comes just weeks after the National Audit Office warned there is a “clear risk” the apprenticeship […]

Hadlow Group appoint interim chairs – including one very familiar face

The embattled Hadlow Group has been bolstered by the appointment of two new interim chairs for its colleges’ boards: an ex-chief executive of the Association of Colleges and a mergers and acquisitions expert. Martin Doel, who will chair West Kent and Ashford College’s board, and Andrew Baird, who will chair Hadlow College’s board, are the […]

Principal suspended pending outcome of investigation has resigned

Paul Hannan has resigned as principal of the Hadlow Group following investigations into financial irregularities at its two colleges. The announcement comes hours ahead of the group’s first board meeting since December, at which it is expected two new chairs for the boards of Hadlow College and West Kent and Ashford College will be appointed, […]

Ofsted finds workers being forced onto provider’s apprenticeship programme

An experienced commercial training provider new to the apprenticeships market has been heavily criticised after Ofsted found staff at an employer were being forced onto their apprenticeship programme. WDR Limited, which has 83 apprentices, received insufficient ratings cross the board in its first monitoring visit since it started receiving public funding to train apprentices in […]

DfE paid £1m to settle Hadlow Group’s legal case

The Department for Education forked out £1 million to settle a legal dispute at a college group under investigation and already relying on government bailouts to survive, FE Week can reveal. The department paid off BAM Construction after West Kent and Ashford College (WKAC) was ordered by the High Court to pay outstanding debts for the construction of a state-of-the-art teaching building in […]