Nick Linford | FE Week

Shortlisted college eyes-up K College degrees

One of the eight organisations shortlisted to take over the troubled K College has told FE Week it is only interested in taking on higher education provision. Canterbury College is one of eight colleges and training providers that has been invited to bid for provision delivered by the Kent college. But it has revealed it […]

SFA warned about its unpaid traineeship post

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has been warned about “exploiting” young people, after it advertised an unpaid traineeship vacancy which could last up to six months. The agency posted the advert on the National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching website. It was for a business admin trainee, as part of the government’s new traineeships scheme, where learners […]

Minister writes to new apprentices on pay

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock has written a letter for every apprentice telling them what they should be earning — despite hundreds of adverts for underpaying apprenticeships remaining on a government-funded website. The letter, which will be distributed to apprentices starting from October 1 by providers, outlines the minimum wage for 16 to 18-year-olds as £2.68 […]

Foundation announces first round of tenders

The Education and Training Foundation has released its first invitations to tender under a new competitive bidding process. A total of four contracts are up for grabs — three concerning professional standards for teachers and trainers in England and the fourth about a workforce survey. It comes a week after a letter from the foundation’s […]

Colleges achieving from ‘burning platform’

The Organisation for Economic Development caught everybody’s eye with a report uncovering “poor” levels of adult numeracy while also questioning literacy skills. But, explains Martin Doel, there was another report earlier this month that was equally deserving of attention. The Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) recently published a review of vocational education and training, covering core […]

Apprentices paid below £2.65 an hour legal minimum jumps 45%

Nearly a third of apprentices were not paid the legal minimum wage in 2012, according to information published by the department for Business, Innovation and Skills this afternoon. The findings in the Apprenticeships pay survey 2012, dubbed “shocking” by unions, show 29 per cent of learners did not receive the then legal minimum of £2.65 […]

Elmfield director Ged Syddall walks during Newsnight probe — but remains majority shareholder

Former Elmfield Training Ltd chief executive Ged Syddall (pictured) has quit as the firm’s director — but remains its majority shareholder — during a BBC investigation into alleged malpractice. A Newsnight probe, supported with information uncovered by FE Week, was due to be aired tomorrow night (Friday October 4), focussing on Elmfield’s dealings with workers at […]

Apprenticeship tax credits

Download your free copy of the FE Week 16-page special report on the PAYE proposal in the government’s apprenticeship funding consultation, sponsored by Pearson. Click here to download (10mb) ——————————————————————————————– Introduction Time has been called on a consultation into the most radical reform proposals for apprenticeship funding in generations. The government have confirmed around 350 responses […]

Nine make it through in sale of troubled K College

Nine organisations have been asked to develop their bids to take over provision at the troubled K College, FE Week can reveal. They have been whittled down from 30 organisations, including colleges and private firms, who sent the Skills Funding Agency a total of 87 expressions of interest (EIs). They want to take on elements of the […]