Jessica Hill | FE Week

Hullraisers taking college from underdog to top dog

Principal Debra Gray built a team that pulled Hull College out of intervention – and now draws on city pride to look forwards with determination

A day in the life of an ESOL teacher

The role is about so much more than teaching the language

A FAB time for Nitsch careering from the army to FE

Former forces commander chief Rob Nitsch reveals how his commitment to public service took him from warzones to vocational qualifications via a stint developing apprenticeships at IfATE. Right now, around 750,000 people are doing apprenticeships based on standards Rob Nitsch personally approved when he was the de facto number two at the Institute for Apprenticeships […]

Caroline McDonald, chief executive, Holex

Holex chief executive Caroline McDonald is on a mission to increase education opportunities for those who missed out on the best start in life

Gripped by fear of a special needs cash clawback

Most apprenticeship providers don’t claim apprentice support funding due to complexity and worries a mistake could wreck their finances, Jessica Hill reports

Crisis in schools creates a NEET problem for FE to solve

Jessica Hill examines the triggers and FE
solutions as worsening school absenteeism
piles pressure on colleges to provide lower-
level post-16 courses

A DAY IN THE LIFE: Apprenticeship assessor

As debates about levies, funding rules and quangos rage on, assessors working for England’s 280 end-point assessment organisations quietly keep the apprenticeship system ticking over. They are the gatekeepers who ensure apprentices are ready for the workforce. Yet their work observing, questioning and making decisions that shape careers can go largely unnoticed. Freelance assessor Janine […]

Solicitor apprenticeships on trial: can they survive level 7 cash cull?

As the government rethinking funding for level 7 apprenticeships, Jessica Hill cross-examines the promise of solicitor apprenticeships: are they truly a gamechanger for under-represented talent, or a cheaper path for the privileged? The goal was described as “simple yet ground-breaking”… to “revolutionise the legal landscape by empowering students from diverse backgrounds to pursue a career […]

Nick Smith, chief executive, TTE Training

Nick Smith of TTE Training sees himself as the “living embodiment” of the difference education can make. His “amazing” career has so far included briefing journalists on military operations as a commando-trained Royal Navy officer, overseeing a students’ union, and taking the helm at the engineering apprenticeships provider TTE Training. In April, Smith joined the […]