Gulf between Leeds and Bradford proves need for place-based fixes As Leeds races ahead, young people in neighbouring Bradford have fewer opportunities. Will the DWP-led skills agenda dismantle the barriers young people face, or just push them into low-value jobs
FE’s social impact risks being ignored if we don’t measure it From community outreach to economic renewal, FE’s contribution goes far beyond the classroom – but we need the data to prove it
Young people can’t choose the pathways they can’t see Despite the efforts of the Baker Clause, apprenticeships remain a mystery to students, parents and society in general. A cultural change is needed to put them on a par with higher education
Post-16 reforms could worsen the NEET problem, not solve it ITPs provide courses that work for students who have struggled in education – they must be protected in the switch to T and V Levels
FE can’t fix recruitment while losing staff to the menopause When around 80,000 of FE staff are biological women aged over 40, menopause puts a huge strain on the sector. But there are solutions
I’m squinting at the future but my vision remains out of focus We teachers need to admit we don’t know what upheaval AI will unleash – will the subjects that we teach even survive?
Leader wellbeing is central to the success of our college students Technical CPD alone won’t sustain a workforce navigating funding pressures, safeguarding complexities and rising SEND. Colleges must rebuild leadership culture around flourishing
Without real teeth, Skills England risks drifting off course It has a capable chair and a credible start. But unless ministers give it teeth, funding and genuine employer ownership, Skills England risks becoming yet another cautionary tale in our long history of skills churn
For Skills England to succeed, the sector must lead Skills England is already on borrowed time, because no quango survives the churn of Westminster. If the sector wants stability, it must stop waiting for a political fix and build the solution itself