Jess Staufenberg | FE Week

The white paper was promising – but why are ITPs still fighting for recognition?

Research out next month will prove the value of independent training providers, writes Jane Hickie The past year saw significant challenges for learners, employers and training providers as Covid continued to affect us all. But the Skills For Jobs white paper, whose anniversary it is this week, offered an excellent opportunity for the sector to […]

The skills bill is the blueprint for transforming the country

Apprenticeships are extraordinarily popular – and more progress is being made from the skills bill, writes Alex Burghart Skills lie at the heart of levelling up. Skills will help people drive their careers forward. Skills will help towns and cities attract and nourish new businesses and developments. Skills will help the economy thrive and public […]

The skills white paper: too much rhetoric, too little action

A lack of movement is causing planning blight and eroding the skills landscape, writes Sue Pember In January 2021, the long-awaited white paper setting out the government’s vision for reform of further education arrived. Along with it came a timetable for how the act would journey through parliament, starting in the Lords. I wonder whether […]

‘Sport is special – it’s in your face’: New College Pontefract

Sport is often forgotten in discussions of FE. But with Ofsted looking hard at ‘personal development’, the award-winning PE team at New College Pontefract appear to have backed the right horse It seems fitting for a feature about fitness that when I visit New College Pontefract, I do an awful lot of exercise (compared to […]

I wish FE offered a broader range of subjects to study

Students should be able to study what interests them, instead of the subjects the system prefers them to pursue, writes Aaliyah Kennedy Further education is a huge player in so many lives. Every young person must stay in education or training until they are 18 years old, and what they do here contributes hugely to […]

We must dispel the image of a male coder sitting in a dark room all night

A career in tech isn’t all about coding – there are multiple other roles for young people too, writes Sukvinder Kathuria I am proud to say that I teach a diverse group of skilled people. Among my college students are young adults who are also holding down jobs, who are carers, young mothers and adults […]

Why the delay to mental health teams reaching all colleges?

Colleges are reporting more suicides and eating disorders – they need better support now, writes Richard Caulfield Over a year ago we published our mental health survey, with stark results. Now, all the feedback we have from the first term of 2021-22 is that the challenge is increasing. It’s driven by more learners presenting with mental […]

Remove the universal credit rules blocking people from education

‘Conditionality’ rules are forcing people to give up their training courses, writes Peter Aldous Like all MPs, I am regularly contacted by constituents struggling to access the training they need to secure fulfilling and meaningful work. I also speak to employers about the severe skills shortages they face in key areas across the local economy. […]

7 steps to having ‘guerilla careers hotspots’ around your college

Providers should be more creative about inspiring students into the labour market, writes Andrew Bernard Imagine you’re just queuing up for a sandwich and you get a subtle nudge towards becoming a nutritionist. Or waiting for the bus, you see a sign that piques your interest in architecture, or urban design. Perhaps while you’re walking […]