Jess Staufenberg | FE Week

Victims of county lines gangs easily go under the radar in colleges

Creating a non-judgmental space for victims to discuss gang involvement in county lines would make a big difference, writes Teresa Carroll The increase in gangs selling drugs to our communities served by the further education sector is startling. The National Crime Agency’s analysis suggests there are more than 1,000 county line drug lines in operation […]

How does the Turing scheme compare to Erasmus?

The Turing scheme will open for applications this month. We spoke to sector professionals to compare the newcomer with its predecessor, Erasmus, and to ponder the likely outcomes for students and staff For those colleges that made use of the Erasmus+ scheme during its 25-year lifespan in the UK, Brexit in January last year started the clock on […]

The government’s delay to Covid testing for students with training providers is disgraceful

We can ask why Covid testing is delayed for those on work-based learning routes – but there is no good explanation, writes Jane Hickie I guess we should be used to it by now. Ever since the pandemic began, hundreds of thousands of apprentices and learners with independent training providers (ITPs) have been at the […]

Our research on the ignored 16-to-19 attainment gap is disturbing

In the first study of its kind, the scale of the attainment gap for disadvantaged post-16 learners has been laid bare, writes David Robinson In comparison to other education age phases, little attention has been given to the role of the 16-to-19 phase in delivering greater social mobility. One reason for this is that it […]

Sunak’s flagship Budget policy risks squeezing out young people

Offering employers incentives regardless of an apprentice’s age in the Budget was completely the wrong call, writes Tom Richmond “Our country’s future will be built by the next generation, so it’s vital that we harness the talent of young people as we rebuild from the pandemic,” said Chancellor Rishi Sunak in November last year, and […]

The Budget should have tackled the deep structural problems with apprenticeships

Until Sunak realises there’s a preference in the apprenticeship system for existing employees over young people, his Budget announcements won’t help, writes Andy Norman Today’s Budget is all about repairing the damage wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, particularly for young people. The measures announced by the Chancellor attempt to kickstart demand for apprenticeships. Yet they […]

Speed and scope are now crucial for the skills white paper

There’s much that’s encouraging in the skills white paper – but we can’t wait another decade for the reforms to fully roll out, says Graham Hasting-Evans The Skills for Jobs white paper is one of the most fundamental initiatives around further education we have seen in the last decade. It builds upon the reforms kicked […]

Introducing… David Gallagher

David Gallagher tells Jess Staufenberg how he pulled back from the brink of a reckless life to focus on building progression routes David Gallagher, chief executive of huge awarding organisation NCFE, got suspended three times during his A-levels. He can’t remember why exactly for two of them, but he does remember the third. He’d finished […]

Research into FE staff wellbeing is now more important than ever

We need to rethink the implications of the pandemic on wellbeing, writes Stephen Corbett The costs of the pandemic for the further education sector are at present largely unknown. FE institutions may already be able to identify the initial costs, such as the amount spent on PPE for health and safety procedures and on IT […]