Nick Linford | FE Week

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Kwik Fit’s unpaid traineeship branded ‘unacceptable’

Kwik Fit has come under fire from the National Union of Students (NUS) for running unpaid traineeships of up to 936 hours across five months. An investigation by FE Week found the car servicing firm advertising “multiple” 16 to 18 vacancies “nationwide” on the government’s National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) website. But the advert, which said […]

Interview with Ofsted careers guidance report author

Q&A with Ofsted inspector Karen Adriaanse, author of the education watchdog’s report Going in the right direction? Careers guidance in schools from September 2012. The report, and Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw, was critical of schools for their careers guidance offering since they were made responsible for the service. Mrs Adriaanse, who is also Ofsted’s […]

Success for the free lunch campaign

Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat Leader, has announced this afternoon that the government will extend free school meals to disadvantaged students in further education and sixth form colleges from September 2014. Free school meals are currently available only for eligible students at school sixth forms. Mr Clegg said: “My ambition is that […]

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The serious business of the education game

Playing computers needn’t be seen as a waste of time that could be better spent learning — it can be a learning process itself if properly harnessed, says Helen Routledge. Games-based learning or ‘serious games’ uses the power of computer games design techniques and mechanics to captivate and engage end-users for purposes other than pure […]

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Hull 14 to 16-year-olds leading the way to college

Seven colleges in England are for the first time taking on young teenagers. Hull College Group is one of those. One hundred 14 to 16-year-olds in Hull are among the country’s first within the age group to study full-time at college. Hull College Group launched its new college on Friday, giving the youngsters the chance […]

College backs down on veil ban

Birmingham Met defended its ban after media attention but has now ‘listened’ to students and ‘modified’ the controversial policy A Midlands college has backed down on a security policy that banned Muslim students from wearing face veils. Birmingham Metropolitan College revised its policy late on Thursday night, ahead of a protest at the college the […]