Questions remain over industrial strategy skills pledge Skills are mentioned 140 times in the industrial strategy – proof of their pivotal role in UK competitiveness. But as FE leaders digest the details, the challenge now is turning rhetoric into real-world impact
Ofqual’s apprenticeship assessment reforms: A bold shift with big implications While greater flexibility and innovation are welcome, challenges around cost, consistency, and transition remain
Skills excellence is the missing ingredient in the UK’s industrial strategy Skills excellence – not just skills – will drive the UK’s economic future, so don’t overlook it
Power crisis: the UK’s infrastructure boom could stall before it starts The government wants to build more homes, greener energy, and major infrastructure – but a fast-declining electrical workforce could leave these plans in the dark
Jeremy Hunt is wrong if he thinks entry level roles aren’t vital Despite fears that AI will eliminate entry-level jobs, demand for them remains strong in the accountancy sector. But outdated perceptions and rigid training models risk leaving young people behind
It’s wrong that nobody knows if the adult skills fund actually works Unlike apprenticeships, adult skills funding operates in a data black hole. Should the grant-allocated system in adult education be phased out?
Why FE colleges must lead the fight against coercive control When our students took the stage to perform scenes of coercive control, their raw performances revealed an uncomfortable truth: FE colleges are battlegrounds in the fight against domestic abuse
The unseen impact of Ofsted: What one grade can really cost How a single Ofsted grade for a small part of overall provision triggered contract losses, staff redundancies and even higher insurance premiums
Colleges should be civil society guardians in a more uncivil world As populism rises and trust in institutions crumbles, FE colleges are quietly doing the vital work of rebuilding civil society