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26 April 2026

Author: Jess Staufenberg

Focus feature: Women principals leaving a legacy in FE

This year numerous top female college principals are stepping down after giving their professional lives to the FE sector. Jess Staufenberg sits down with three of them, all of whom have been awarded OBEs and been nationally recognised for their pioneering work. What are the highs and lows of leadership? Karen Dobson, chief executive, Newcastle […]

This is what I really said about social mobility

Social mobility is complex, as FE providers know. The Telegraph’s headline about my speech was the opposite of the truth, writes Katharine Birbalsingh You may have read that last week we launched the “fresh approach” which we want the Social Mobility Commission to take over the next few years. The Commission has a statutory duty […]

Why parents are the barrier to apprenticeship uptake

The challenge to apprenticeship uptake is the stigma of the route for parents, writes Ben Hansford In the UK, university is still broadly viewed as the default path for school leavers. A university degree is seen as the most respected route for young jobseekers which, in the eyes of many, guarantees them a ‘successful’ job. […]

Shadowing should be embedded in apprenticeship standards

Shadowing is highly effective CPD and also helps to build relationships within organisations, writes Priya Patel I’m a former digital marketing apprentice at an independent training provider, and now I hold a full-time role there. It means I have first-hand experience of reaping the opportunities of an apprenticeship programme. The most impactful opportunity I had […]

What can we learn from the history of policymaking in FE?

A top-down approach has left a confused legacy of abandoned institutions, qualifications and a lack of consistent funding streams, writes Bart Shaw Bringing young people on the margins of education policy into the centre is what my organisation strongly believes is the most pressing policy change. All policymaking should start with the question “how does […]

Is it time to let go of the failures and ego of incorporation?

The colleges sector can only challenge the problems of incorporation if it takes the uncomfortable step of building a united political stance, writes Stuart Rimmer With the announcement last month that the Office for National Statistics was reviewing the classifications of colleges, there was an immediate flurry among the FE Twitterati. Did it signal the […]

Sharon Blyfield, head of early careers at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Sharon Blyfield, head of early careers at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, finished her BTEC at college and rose to the top at one of the world’s biggest brands. She talks to Jess Staufenberg about the ‘employer-led system’ and the scandal of apprentice pay Employers occupy a curious space in FE. They are the raison d’être for […]

The government must act now to save apprenticeships

It’s the first time in our organisation’s 50-year history that the number of apprenticeship vacancies is outstripping applications, writes Mike Driscoll We have almost reached the end of another challenging academic year – and what a year it has been! We have witnessed the coronavirus pandemic come, go, come back and then go again. Even […]

Education is crucial amid spiralling living costs

FE must focus on delivering a versatile workforce to help tackle the cost of living crisis, writes Mark Dawe Following two years of political, social and economic disruptions, the government announced its levelling up white paper earlier this year. With widespread devolution and the recognition of skills in socio-economic development, the white paper shared an […]