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11 April 2026

Author: Paul Offord

Employers use just 10% of their apprenticeship levy funds in first year

Employers have used just 10 per cent of their apprenticeship levy funds in first 12 months since it was introduced. The education minister Lord Agnew admitted to parliament that between May last year and the end of this April, levy-paying employers “drew down £207 million from their apprenticeship service accounts for new starts”. This amounts […]

Urgent levy reform demanded for nursing degree apprenticeships

Nursing degree apprenticeship start targets will be missed without urgent reform to how the apprenticeship levy can be spent, MPs have been warned. There has been an extremely slow take-up so far, with only 30 starts up to the end of January this year, the Commons education committee was told in a specially convened hearing. […]

Commissioner credits improvements at college Ofsted branded ‘unsafe’

The FE Commissioner has recognised improvements at a financially challenged college that was recently branded grade four by Ofsted for delivering “unsafe” training. But Richard Atkins’ intervention summary report on Moulton College, still warned that the required changes in approach, culture and actions “need to be monitored in a more directed manner by leaders and […]

Mayor of London blames DfE for having to top-slice AEB

The Greater London Authority is locked in a war of words with the government over Sadiq Khan’s plan to top-slice £3 million from the adult education budget to cover the costs of devolution. The Department for Education insisted it had awarded the GLA “sufficient funds to prepare”, having provided £235,139 in “implementation funding” between September […]

Windrush scandal official becomes Cabinet Office apprenticeships chief

The immigration enforcement official blamed for the downfall of the former home secretary Amber Rudd has been moved from the Home Office to the Cabinet Office to lead on apprenticeships strategy. The Home Office announced that Hugh Ind “is moving to work at the Cabinet Office where he will take forward the public sector apprenticeships […]

Strike called off at Bradford College after voluntary redundancy concession

Strike action at Bradford College has been called off at the last minute, after it agreed to reopen its voluntary redundancy scheme. Members of the University and College Union who work at the college, which was hit with two financial notices to improve in recent months and was bailed out twice in December, had been due […]

Early Ofsted monitoring report highly critical of airports apprenticeship provider

Ofsted has levelled stinging criticism at a provider that trains apprentices for Heathrow Airport, in a hard-hitting early monitoring inspection report. The report on Birkenhead-based Mooreskills Limited was published today. It follows a report in March on Key6 Group, from the same town, that found its apprenticeships were “not fit for purpose”. These have been […]

20% funding uplift for 16-to-18 apprentices stays another year

Extra payments to providers training the youngest and most disadvantaged apprentices will remain in place from August, the Department for Education has confirmed. The 20-per-cent uplift for 16- to 18-year-old apprentices on frameworks, with additional cash for those in disadvantaged areas, were introduced in 2016 as a transitional measure. Today’s announcement confirms they will remain […]