Paul Offord | FE Week

The new prime providers who struck gold in the first AEB tender

There were many winners to emerge from the AEB procurement, including two new prime providers which each received more than £1 million. Top of the list of first-time primes is London-based Free to Learn, which has £2 million for November to July next year. Its chief commercial officer was bullish about the company’s ability to […]

Colleges win £5.2m through AEB procurement

A total of £5.2 million was shared among 19 general FE colleges during the recent adult education budget procurement, sparking complaints that the money did not go to independent training providers. ITPs were told a year ago that their AEB contracts would come to an end this July, rather than being automatically renewed as before, […]

Education select committee launches inquiry into apprenticeships and skills training

A new inquiry into the quality of apprenticeships and skills training has been launched by the House of Commons education select committee. Former apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon, who now chairs the committee, will confirm this during a speech at The Skills Show in Birmingham today. A spokesperson for the committee said: “While many […]

Weston College takes two gongs at the AoC Beacon Awards

The AoC Beacon Award winners, which recognise innovative and outstanding activities in colleges across the UK, have been announced. The ceremony took place this evening on the opening day of the AoC annual conference at the ICC in Birmingham. Among the winners was Weston College, which achieved a double success, winning awards for improving functional, […]

Chief executive standing down from troubled college group

Bradford College has confirmed that its group chief executive is stepping down after it received both a financial notice to improve and an Oftsed grade three in short succession. Andy Welsh, who became group chief executive in August 2014, is stepping down at the end of this academic year. The Education and Skills Funding Agency […]

BREAKING: Institute for Apprenticeships appoints board member as chief executive

The new chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships is military man Sir Gerry Berragan, who was previously unveiled as a board member. He was a career soldier for 37 years, finishing as adjutant general, responsible for all army personnel matters, serving between August 2012 and August 2015. Sir Gerry had been appointed the army’s […]

Over 70,000 to attend sixth annual Skills Show this week

More than 70,000 visitors are expected to pack out the sixth annual Skills Show in Birmingham this week, and qualification for next year’s EuroSkills competition and the continental leg of a major cooking competition are high on the agenda. The event, held at the NEC arena, will run until Saturday, November 18, and sees 500 […]

Summit to launch ‘skills revolution’ with employers

The government will host a special summit at the end of this month to launch a new ‘skills partner’ programme with employers to help develop technical and vocational education reforms. The Department for Education announced that the Skills Summit event will take place on November 30. The education secretary will lead the event in London, […]

AoC Conference day one: Jeremy Corbyn’s key FE pledges

Jeremy Corbyn will expand on his party’s plans to offer free lifelong education through a National Education Service later today, at the Association of Colleges’ annual conference. Held at the ICC in Birmingham with FE Week as the premier media partner, this is one of the key events in the FE calendar, and this year […]