Author: JL Dutaut

The GCSE resits policy continues to be controversial, but it’s really a matter of emphasis, writes Bill Jones. To prioritise their students, colleges should focus on progress rather than pass/fail measures Back in 2015, government introduced a policy that required colleges to support students who’d narrowly missed out on GCSE grade 4 in maths or […]

Whoever is in power tomorrow will have to deliver on their FE funding commitments and manifesto promises, writes Vanessa Wilson. But all the parties have missed a key plank to building the skills sector’s true capability In spite of positive promises from all sides, and whoever walks into Number 10 today, universities, colleges and independent […]

The prominence of technical and vocational education in this electoral campaign is significant for the sector, writes Andrew Morris, but if reform isn’t informed by research, history will repeat itself “You’re joking! Not another one?” Not the words of Brenda from Bristol, but those of Professor Gareth Parry as he opened the recent Learning and […]

While T-levels have suffered criticism and setbacks, the UK government’s plan to revolutionise vocational education can benefit employers and students alike. I should know, writes Alfie Earlam, I’m one of the few lucky students trialling them and I couldn’t be happier T-levels will be introduced in autumn 2020, replacing a wide range of qualifications. In […]

Amid Brexit chaos and the continued suspension of the Stormont assembly, what Northern Ireland’s colleges need most from this election is certainty, writes Marie-Thérèse McGivern Brexit has created huge tension across the whole of the UK, but probably nowhere more so than in Northern Ireland, a region that voted in its majority to remain in […]

Welsh college principal, Mark Jones has a few requests to put to the new prime minister, and some leadership advice for the new incumbent at number 10 With responsibility for education in Wales devolved to the Welsh Assembly, colleagues in other areas of the UK may feel that the outcome of the Westminster election is […]

Over the last few years we’ve seen a lot of experimentation with England’s much maligned vocational education system. If these innovations are to be successful they need to involve employers to a much greater extent than is currently the case, writes Tristram Hooley. The clue is in the name; ‘vocational education’ is only useful if […]

To highlight the diversity of engineering careers that shape the world around us, the Royal Academy of Engineering recently celebrated This Is Engineering Day. But we have a problem, writes Rhys Morgan. There just aren’t enough young people joining the industry According to the latest data from EngineeringUK, we need up to 59,000 additional people […]