Nick Linford | FE Week

Memories of a ‘welcoming’ Umpqua Community College shattered by gun death tragedy

When news broke last week that nine people had been killed by a gunman at Umpqua Community College, in Oregon, Iain Mackinnon’s thoughts jumped to the time he spent there a decade ago. By chance I’ve visited Umpqua Community College in Oregon, scene of the latest mass killings. This is no inner city madhouse where […]

Sector gives BIS committee its views on the Productivity Plan

The task of the first official inquiry of the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee is to look at the government’s Productivity Plan. Committee chair Iain Wright (pictured above), announcing the inquiry in July, said he wanted to explore whether the plan addressed the main causes of low productivity in the UK […]

Government apprenticeship reform adviser Doug Richard in court over child sex charges

Former government adviser on apprenticeships Doug Richard appeared in court today to face child sex charges. Richard wore a plain white shirt and black trousers and remained impassive throughout his appearance in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. He faced three counts of sexual activity with a child and one of causing or inciting a child […]

College area review ‘shambles’ — Shadow Minister Nic Dakin hits out over ‘unwieldy’ key meetings

The government has been warned its “hastily put together area reviews have all the ingredients of being yet another Conservative Government shambles” with membership of their “unwieldy” steering groups potentially swelling to around 45. Dozens of college governors’ board chairs, joined by either their chief executives or principals, and officials from local authorities take part […]

Construction skills sector prepared for two levies for the price of … two

Building sector firms have been paying into the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) levy for half a century, so might have a rough idea what to expect from the government’s large employer apprenticeship levy. However, it hasn’t been clear jst how they feel about the possibility of having to fork out for two training levies — until now, […]

Taking Treasury’s lead

On September 29, Jeremy Corbyn delivered his first speech as the Leader of the Labour Party in Brighton. Although he’d never admit it himself, many have argued that the speech was the most important of his political life, and the media has treated it as such with forensic examination of everything from the way it […]

Principals have say their on the latest area reviews

A further three post-16 education area reviews were announced late last month by the government, taking the number of colleges undergoing the process to 72. Twenty one general FE colleges and 13 sixth form colleges (SFCs) across the Tees Valley, Sussex Coast and Solent regions, were added to the 22 general FE colleges and 16 […]

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Taking centre stage for FE research

Paul Grainger outlines the new University College London (UCL)/Institute of Education (IOE) Centre for Post-14 Education and Work, which was set up last month. Each year I tell my students that this year has been a turbulent one for FE. And each year it’s true. Stability is never on the agenda. It’s the price that […]