Apprenticeships

White paper fails to put employers at the centre of our FE universe

The skills white paper sets out plenty of ideas, but no unifying vision. If skills are the engine of...

Jessica Hill
Ben Rowland
Skills reform

Functional skills maths isn’t functional, and everyone knows it

When exam questions bear no resemblance to the maths problems of the workplace, young apprentices are set up to...

Jessica Hill
Sue Pittock
Young people

New V Levels qualification must build on the best of BTECs

V Levels must build on BTEC’s proven strengths if they’re to deliver the workforce the UK needs

Jessica Hill
Freya Thomas Monk
Young people

V Levels can streamline, but beware a re-badging exercise

The government’s vision for a simpler skills system is welcome, but real reform means tackling deep-rooted issues like staffing,...

Jessica Hill
Robbie Maris
Politics

FE is no longer Cinderella, it’s the government’s Fairy Godmother

The post-16 white paper shows that even fairy dust can’t hide the lack of a clear purpose behind yet...

Jessica Hill
Holly Papworth
Adult education

White paper misses the mark by omitting adults

The post-16 education and skills white paper could have been the defining moment for a genuine lifelong learning revolution....

Jessica Hill
Dipa Ganguli and Caroline McDonald
Young people

V Levels: a victory for vocational education, or another V sign to the FE sector?

The government’s new V Levels promise a third pathway alongside A and T Levels. But are they a genuine...

Jessica Hill
James Scott
Colleges

White paper is a long-overdue vote of confidence in colleges – let’s make it count

The new white paper signals real belief in FE, with funding, new pathways and a bigger role for colleges....

Jessica Hill
David Hughes
Opinion

If opportunity is the goal, why scrap the courses that deliver it?

The government’s commitment to a third qualification pathway is welcome, but the decision to scrap existing qualifications before V...

Jessica Hill
James Kewin