Minimum wage makes 16-year-old apprentices too pricey to employ With apprenticeship starts for young people at historic lows, it’s time to consider that well-intentioned policy decisions may have stripped teenagers of opportunities
Having a four-day teaching week provides a fifth day for real life Our learners had the qualifications, but not always the work skills. By redesigning our timetable we treated preparation for adult life as a core purpose
Diplomas get a reprieve, and learners avoid the gap The government’s decision to pause the defunding of diplomas and extended diplomas is a major victory for common sense
Three pathways, one goal: Getting young people back on track Our phased transition to new qualifications will provide the certainty providers need, while ensuring no young person falls through the cracks
FAB Tim’s Cheeky past Tim Bennett-Hart has always danced to his own tune – playing in a band with a filthy name and helping write songs for popstars like The Cheeky Girls. He tells Jessica Hill how he’ll bring his optimistic outlook to his new role as Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) chair
Call the Doctor… our tutorials are being treated like a TARDIS More demands are being made of tutorial time – to the point that college teams are being asked to defy the laws of time and space
In a saturated jobs market qualifications aren’t enough When more than 700,000 graduates are unemployed, we must ensure students get work experience and can articulate the employability skills they develop
SEND reforms are another burden that could make teachers boil over Reforms promise inclusion and high standards, but quietly shift yet more responsibility onto college staff already under strain
I’ll say it in plain English…cutting ESOL damages us all Lincolnshire’s move to cut English language learning for non-English speakers won’t help the region’s economy, and a literacy programme is no replacement