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11 April 2026

Author: Paul Offord

Apprenticeship achievement rates up for 2016/17

Apprenticeship achievement rates have been shown to have risen for 2016/17, in the latest statistics released by the Department for Education. The figure for all apprenticeship levels went up by a full percentage point on the previous academic year, according to new National Achievement Rate tables published this morning, from 66.7 per cent in 2015/16 […]

Damian Hinds casts doubt on Anne Milton’s FE funding review

The review into FE funding announced just two days ago by the skills minister might not actually go ahead – at least if remarks made by her boss are to be understood. Anne Milton announced the review in the House of Commons on March 19, but the education secretary Damian Hinds, whom she reports to, […]

Consultation launches on post-18 education and funding review

The government’s consultation on its review of Post-18 education and funding has launched today, to close on May 2. It is expected to focus on funding around levels four and above, and look seriously at how colleges can run more at these levels. The aim is to create “a joined-up system that works for everyone”, according […]

DfE announces which providers will be protected from AEB devolution

The providers that will be protected from adult education budget devolution have been announced. Certain providers will continue to be funded nationally by the Education and Skills Funding Agency for two years between 2019/20 and 2020/21 after devolution goes ahead, the skills minister confirmed in Parliament last week. They have now been named, and feature […]

EXCLUSIVE: Minister intervenes to block new apprenticeship provider from taking recruits

Anne Milton has stepped in to stop a provider from taking on any new apprentices, after it was criticised in Ofsted’s first early-monitoring visit report on a newcomer to apprenticeships. The apprenticeships minister made it clear that the government had decided swift action was needed against Merseyside’s Key6 Group. “All apprenticeship training must be fit […]

Fears over ‘middle-class grab’ on apprenticeships are valid, minister admits

Fears of a “middle-class grab” on apprenticeships are “valid”, the skills minister has admitted. Anne Milton told a House of Lords inquiry into the economics of further, higher and technical education that she was “watching and waiting” to see what happened – and would take action if necessary. “Fears of a middle-class grab on apprenticeships […]

Chancellor announces £80m to support small businesses with apprentices

There will be an extra £80 million released to help small businesses recruit apprentices, the chancellor has announced in his spring statement to Parliament. But it isn’t strictly new funding, a Treasury official later admitted. “We are committed as a government to delivering three million apprenticeship starts by 2020 with the support of business through […]

Government cashes in on levy brokerage

Providers training apprentices for the civil service will be subject to a controversial new brokerage charge from the top tier of government which will recoup millions of pounds. Candidates to train government apprentices were told to register with the Crown Commercial Service, and a group of 16 were chosen. These were given access to at […]