Nick Linford | FE Week

FE Commissioner questions future of cash-strapped college that saw governor resignations over principal’s appointment

The FE Commissioner has questioned the future of a cash-strapped Midland college that saw governors resign after a new principal was appointed without a competitive application process. Dr David Collins was sent in to Stratford-Upon-Avon College by former Skills Minister Matthew Hancock in May after the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) rated its financial health as inadequate, […]

Towards a three-way traineeship policy?

Mark Corney looks at how the traineeship programme is developing policy-wise. From this month, traineeships have been open to 24-year-olds. At a strategic level, therefore, traineeships appear as a single programme across the 16 to 24 age range. In fact, current and future policy developments suggest the development of a three-way traineeship programme for 16 […]

Apprenticeship starters should be no older than 23, says new IPPR report

Apprentices should be no older than 23 at the time of starting their course, a new report from the left-of-centre Institute for Public Policy Research thinktank has recommended. The 52-page report, called Remember The Young Ones: Improving Career Opportunities For Britain’s Young People (pictured below right), says that only in exceptional circumstances should those aged 24 and […]

Darlington College tops minister’s new ‘experimental success measure’

The government has today published for the first time employment and other 19+ learner outcomes for FE and skills providers — and Darlington College has the highest job outcome rate of all general FE colleges. Click here to see full report for Darlington College. The data from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), […]

Further education colleges outnumber universities in learners’ higher education top 20

Learners have put 12 FE colleges among the UK’s top 20 higher education providers in the 2014 National Student Survey. Tyne Metropolitan College came top of the FE institutions, recording 100 per cent of students satisfied with their courses to outdo the likes of Keele University (11th) and the University of St Andrews (ranked 17th) […]

Two general FE colleges among backers in new round of UTCs announced by Chancellor George Osborne

A new round of University Technical Colleges (UTCs), involving two general FE colleges, has been announced by Chancellor George Osborne (pictured). Bromley College and Sheffield College were among those to win approval for seven new UTCs to add to the 17 currently operating and 33 in development. Five universities are behind the other new UTCs, […]

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EXCLUSIVE: Ofsted FE and skills inspections face merger with schools and early years

Ofsted’s FE and skills inspection regime could be scrapped as the watchdog looks at a huge merger shake-up including schools and early years. It is understood that, just two years after the current FE and skills common inspection framework (CIF) was introduced, Ofsted is considering merging all education inspections under a single framework from September […]

Free schools allowed to join ranks of the Sixth Form Colleges’ Association

Free schools could be allowed to join the Sixth Form Colleges’ Association (SFCA) after its governing council voted in favour of an admission rules change. The SFCA has campaigned against the establishment of 16 to 19-year-old free schools, which are types of academies, where there is already sufficient sixth form provision and where members could […]