Author: Jude Burke

The Institute for Apprenticeships has appointed another military man as its second-in-command, following a “fair and open competition”. Robert Nitsch CBE, the army’s director of personnel for the past three years, will take on the role of chief operating officer in the next few months, the institute announced today. The IfA’s chief executive Sir Gerry […]

The boss of the Institute for Apprenticeships has hit out at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers for being “inflammatory” for repeatedly raising concerns over apprenticeships without end point assessment organisations (EPA) in place. The accusation by Sir Gerry Berragan (pictured above), made this morning at an event in London to mark the first […]

The government has approved more than £300 million to cover the cost of implementing post-area review changes, although the skills minister insisted this cash will not be “propping up failing colleges”. The figure, which amounts to around 40 per cent of the £726 million on offer, was revealed in the latest Education and Skills Funding […]

The second of a new wave of Ofsted early-monitoring visit reports keeping a close eye on newcomers to directly funded apprenticeship provision has returned with largely positive findings. The report into London College of Apprenticeship Training rates it as making significant progress in one area and reasonable progress in two. This is far more positive […]

The government should do more to boost the number of 16- to 18-year-olds doing apprenticeships due to the “overwhelming” benefits to both employers and apprentices, a new report has urged. ‘Apprenticeship training in England – a cost-effective model for firms?’, published today by the Education Policy Institute, looked at the potential costs and benefits for […]

The FE commissioner’s performance will be judged by the number of colleges falling into intervention among other measures, according to a letter from the skills minister published today. The missive from Anne Milton, dated March 27, sets out a number of objectives and outcome measures for Richard Atkins to achieve in 2017/18. “Given that you […]

A college that was told a year ago that it couldn’t survive on its own has announced plans to merge, following a second hunt for a partner. Grade three Epping Forest College, which has been in administered status since March last year, is set to join forces with New City College from August 1, according […]

A college that was recently rated ‘inadequate’ for the third time in five years has finally completed a merger. Stockport College, which has also had a notice of concern for financial health since 2010, formally joined forces with grade two Trafford College today to form the Trafford College Group. “Our aim is for our learners […]

The government must “urgently” design a successor programme to the European Social Fund to avoid a “disastrous” post-Brexit funding gap, an influential group of MPs has said. The work and pensions committee, chaired by Birkenhead MP Frank Field, made the call in its report, published today, which looked at what would happen if the UK […]