If belonging is real, your data won’t look pretty If FE is serious about making every learner feel they matter, it must accept the consequences: slower progress, more complexity and data that tells a harder story
This student artwork made me rethink burnout in today’s learners A piece of art revealed more about student life today than any policy discussion
I want to open up property careers to the people currently shut out My nine years of running LocatED, DfE’s property arm, have shown me that talent is still too often filtered out by informal networks, financial barriers and recruitment processes that favour the already advantaged. So I’m doing something about it
Adult education institutions are being dismantled by stealth Specialist adult education institutions have spent generations supporting lifelong learning, social mobility and community cohesion, yet funding pressures and structural reform are increasingly pushing them into mergers with larger FE colleges
The Milburn review is a watershed moment for FE In Milburn’s bold words, the ruin of education policy is writ large. His report raises fundamental questions about the future role of FE
Day in the life: The community campus lead peddling a virtuous cycle for students Keen bike rider and former carpenter Jake Sanders tells how his role as community campus lead focuses on the learner’s life journey to success
Green energy training needs joined up delivery An ageing workforce, uncertain funding and outdated infrastructure are leaving the heating and plumbing sector struggling to prepare for the green revolution
The future of learning isn’t academic or vocational – it’s both Level 4 and 5 are no longer a gap to fix but a system to scale. The real challenge now is making these flexible, employer-led routes visible and viable for every learner
Level 6 apprenticeships matter to UK’s science and nuclear industries Employers across the science industries are warning that weakening advanced apprenticeship routes risks creating a damaging disconnect between government skills policy and the workforce needs of strategically important sectors