Jude Burke | FE Week

Government research finds colleges must do more to motivate GCSE resit students

Government research has found that colleges need to do more to motivate GCSE maths and English resit students. “Motivation is low for many students,” a new report out today has found, which notes that “providers almost invariably state that motivating students to learn English and mathematics is a major challenge”. CFE Research was commissioned by […]

Management apprenticeships debate rages

The Institute for Apprenticeships has defended the rise in management apprenticeships, amid stark warnings about the fate of those at level two from the boss of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers. “The number one reason for our lower productivity has been analysed as leadership and management,” said Dame Fiona Kendrick, an IfA board […]

CITB retains ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating

The Construction Industry Training Board has held onto its ‘outstanding’ rating from Ofsted, in a report due to be officially published tomorrow. The report, which looked only at its apprenticeship provision that is all run through subcontractors, returned grade ones across the board. CITB was also rated grade one-overall in a report published January 2013. […]

Revealed: 3 million apprenticeship target slipping away

The government’s commitment to three million apprenticeship starts by 2020 is increasingly out of reach, exclusive FE Week analysis of new statistics has revealed. Average monthly starts are 17 per cent lower than where they need to be to hit that target by that year. Previous start figures had only been available on a quarterly […]

Baker clause: Schools obliged to let FE providers talk to pupils from January

The Baker clause, which forces schools to open their doors to FE providers to let them advertise their services to pupils, will take effect from January, according to guidance published this morning by the Department for Education. The amendment to the Technical and Further Education Act, which came into law in May, was proposed by […]

New ESFA boss admits levy ‘challenges’

The apprenticeship levy is having a challenging introduction, the new person in charge of education finances has admitted. Eileen Milner (pictured above) admitted as much in a statement marking her first day as chief executive of the Education and Skills Funding Agency. “Seven months into the apprenticeship levy, which has brought about much change, the […]

Corbyn threatens independence of colleges

Colleges’ status as independent corporations could be at risk under Labour’s plan for free lifelong learning, Jeremy Corbyn has said. The service, which Mr Corbyn compared to the National Health Service, would offer “cradle-to-grave education free at the point of use”. The party leader outlined plans for a National Education Service during his keynote address […]

FE practitioner research movement gathers pace

As one college principal puts out a call for greater support for practitioner research, moves are afoot to create a “meta network” of FE research organisations to facilitate collaborations on the ground. So what can principals do to support more research – and why does it matter? FE Week takes a look. Around 30 bodies […]

Government rejects call for change on end-point assessment

The government has rejected a call from an influential parliamentary group for at least one end-point assessment organisation to be in place before an apprentice can start on a standard. The refusal came as part of its response to a Commons select committee report on apprenticeships, published this morning. The original report, published in March […]