Author: Jude Burke

Employer bodies have attacked Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) guidance that Trailblazer apprenticeship incentive payments are used where expensive assessments push costs over government funding limits. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) last month told of its concerns that end-point assessments were “driving up costs for Trailblazers”. However, a BIS spokesperson has told […]

Former Education Secretary Ken Baker (pictured above) has hit back at criticism that his university technical college (UTC) project had been given a “get out of jail clause” in government plans for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure. Lord Baker, co-founder of Baker Dearing Educational Trust (BDT), which has been working to develop UTCs, also […]

The impact technology has on learners is more important to Ofsted than the technology itself, a former inspector told delegates at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ Learning Technologies Expo 2015. Kerry Boffey (pictured above), director of the Adult Learning Improvement Network, said providers needed to think about what technology “will do for learners”. […]

The “perfect storm” of challenges facing the sector is, according to Association of Colleges (AoC) chief executive Martin Doel, a “manifestation of a problem that we should have settled a long time ago – that is defining this term ‘further education’”. “For too often we’ve chased whatever money is available, whatever source of funding might […]

Further Education Commissioner Dr David Collins (pictured above) has ended his involvement at two more FE and skills providers. Lancashire Adult Learning (LAL), which was told by Dr Collins earlier this year to scale down its skills offer, has been told by Skills Minister Nick Boles that Dr Collins’ input was no longer needed. Mr […]

Hackney Community College went up an Ofsted grade to good today as it became the first FE and skills provider rated under the new common inspection framework — but the revamped report itself came under fire. The 6,200-learner East London college was inspected from September 29 to October 2, having previously been visited by the education watchdog in […]

Experienced troubleshooter Ian Clinton has temporarily taken charge at Stafford College, following the resignation of previous principal Beverley Smith. Mr Clinton, who saw Stockport College’s Ofsted rating improve from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’ during a short stint in charge, will start as interim principal at Stafford on November 4. His appointment comes after Ms Smith […]

Widespread use of government cash to subsidise low wages on apprenticeships for older learners has “got to stop”, Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has exclusively told FE Week. He hit out at poor quality training programmes for people aged 25 and above and government failure to encourage more starts among 16 to 24-year-olds, ahead of […]

The future of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has been thrown further into doubt after it emerged that chief executive Michael Davis will stand down early next year, FE Week can exclusively reveal. Mr Davis (pictured) took up the top job in January 2011, following the departure of previous chief executive Chris […]