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12 April 2026

Manchester starts tumble by over a third, post-levy

Apprenticeship starts in one of England’s largest cities have shown a “notable and significant decline” since the introduction of the levy, according to local training providers. A total of 50 “established and reputable apprenticeship providers with a strong track record of apprenticeship delivery” completed the Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network apprenticeship impact survey, which compared […]

Exclusive: T-level priority panel chairs revealed

The chairs of the first six T-level panels have been announced by the Department for Education. Fifteen names of people who will chair and co-chair the so-called “priority” panels were published this morning, alongside details of the first three subjects that will be delivered by 2020, and the T-level action plan. But that information did not […]

First T-levels announced by minister

UPDATE, 10am: The T-level action plan has now been published. To read it click here. The first three T-levels have been announced by the education secretary. Qualifications in digital, childcare and education, and construction will be taught by a small number of providers from 2020, according to today’s announcement. The Department for Education’s T-level action […]

Greening opens National College for High Speed Rail

The new National College for High Speed Rail was officially launched by the education secretary yesterday. The college, which has taken on its first cohort of apprentices, is the third of five government-backed national colleges to fully open. Justine Greening was full of enthusiasm at the official launch. “It is part of how we are steadily […]

Barely half of eligible employers are on the levy system

Scarcely half of eligible employers have signed up to use the government’s apprenticeships system, new statistics published today suggest. Just 10,500 apprenticeship service accounts were registered on the system by the end of August – well short of the estimated 19,150 levy-paying companies that are eligible to use the service. The apprenticeships and skills minister […]

Ex LeSoCo principal steps in at troubled Totton College

The leader of a troubled college has stepped down just 18 months into the job – and will be replaced by the ex-principal of another formerly struggling institution. Derek Headrige [pictured right] was appointed campus principal at Totton College in April 2016 following a period of turmoil that saw it merge with the social justice […]

Anne Milton to speak at AoC Conference

The skills minister will be speaking at this year’s Association of Colleges annual conference. Anne Milton’s address is guaranteed to be one of the highlights of this year’s event, which will be held at ICC in Birmingham on November 14 and 15. The news of her appearance at one of the FE sector’s biggest annual […]

Editor asks: Can mega colleges ever be too big to fail?

With colleges across the country pressured into mega-mergers and the government dishing out special treatment to the ailing FE goliath Learndirect, FE Week editor Nick Linford asks Ofsted’s chief inspector Amanda Spielman about whether a provider can ever be too big to fail. The trend towards huge merged colleges is creating a whole new set […]

First4Skills: what happened after its disastrous collapse?

The apprenticeships giant First4Skills went bust in March after its skills funding was pulled due to an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating. Around 200 staff lost their jobs, while around 3,700 learners were affected, and 14 subcontractors found themselves without a prime. Jude Burke looks into what has happened since. Six months after First4Skills’ collapse, 97 per […]