Nick Linford | FE Week

Shock threat of Ofsted ‘civil action’

– Inspectorate send letters warning their logo can only be used by those graded outstanding– Schools, colleges and training providers face cost of removing logo from all publications Ofsted has sprung a surprise by threatening legal action for unauthorised usage of its logo to advertise “good” ratings – even though it’s common practice among […]

Our first day in Parliament to #SaveOurApprenticeships

The government announced in August that from next May they will be cutting some 16-18 apprenticeship framework funding rates by over 50% in the most deprived parts of the country. Well, when I say announced, what I mean is they published a searchable spreadsheet with the new rates, so I had to work out the […]

Tech in FE

FE Week Technology Supplement – click here to download. With the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) holding its annual conference earlier in September, we thought this was the perfect time to take a look at all things technology-related for the FE and skills sector. The title of this supplement – Connect, Collaborate, Create – is […]

Motor industry boss lambasts PM for not ‘recognising’ apprenticeship funding cuts

The prime minister is like a “drunk in a china shop”, according to one motor industry chief, because she claims she does not “recognise” potential cuts of up to 50 per cent to apprenticeship funding. Responding to Theresa May’s comments, which were made during a grilling at Wednesday’s prime minister’s questions, Steve Nash, the chief […]

Apprenticeship levy is ‘just another tax’ on employers

The government has been selling the apprenticeship levy to employers for over a year now. They will have “ownership” and be “in the driving seat”, negotiating the cash level of their digital vouchers with providers of choice. It turns out employers will need a contract with the government, because in fact it’s no longer the […]

Liz Rees, director, Unionlearn

Liz Rees knows all about grammar schools — she attended three — but, unlike some prominent politicians, the experience has not made the Unionlearn director a fan of government plans to expand them. “I just don’t get it,” she says. “They belong to the past, when about five per cent of kids went to university […]

EXCLUSIVE: Keith Smith returns to SFA to lead on apprenticeship levy

A top SFA official seconded to into the government department to implement the apprenticeship levy has already returned, FE Week can reveal. FE Week reported in March that Keith Smith (pictured) was temporarily leaving his role at the SFA to join BIS as their Director of Levy Implementation until April 2017. A government spokesperson said […]

Employers will have to sign government levy contracts

Businesses are increasingly jittery over the apprenticeship levy, after it was revealed that they would have to sign strict contracts with the Skills Funding Agency – rather than just with providers, as the sector had expected. The CBI says it is “concerned” that the existence of these contracts had only “come to light” at this […]

Editor Asks: David Hughes becomes fifth chief executive of the AoC

Last week saw David Hughes become the fifth chief executive of the Association of Colleges in its 20 year history. Many readers will know that he’s been close to the action ever since joining the Further Education Funding Council in 2000 and more recently as chief executive at the Institute for Learning and Work. I’ve […]