Shane Chowen | FE Week

The government must go much further with reforms

The Technical and Further Education Bill is a good start, but it needs to address structural problems that will hold us back in world trade, says Shane Chowen. In the wake of the vote to leave the EU, the economic aftershocks are beginning to be felt. Economists still forecast a rise in unemployment – albeit […]

Up Pompeii

Shane Chowen looks into the fallout for FE from the Brexit vote. I wanted to start my column this week with the line ‘now that the post-referendum dust has settled’ but, much like Pompeii in 79 AD, the country will be beset with poor foresight and a somewhat toxic atmosphere for some months to come. At […]

Nobody wants iron curtains

Shane Chowen explains why he thinks Lord Sainsbury’s review of technical and professional education should avoid old solutions to new challenges. If FE Week’s timings are correct, this ought to be my penultimate column before the publication of Lord Sainsbury’s review and the government’s ‘continuing revolution’ of technical and professional education. I can’t be the […]

Setting the scene for a devolved future

Shane Chowen looks at how the upcoming local elections and devolution could affect FE. More than 475 elections will soon be taking place throughout the UK, with thousands of candidates trying to reach millions of voters. I was a candidate in a by-election in Milton Keynes last year (I lost). It’s exhausting, but also exciting, because […]

Welfare reforms impact on our students

Shane Chowen calls for greater recognition of the impact welfare cuts will have on FE students. The parliamentary process isn’t one that lends itself to straight forward explanation at the best of times. But when complicated and contentious pieces of legislation work their way through Westminster, it’s all to easy to get caught up in […]

Guest reporter Shane Chowen heads to Switzerland

On the 18-21 June I’m taking a four day break from being Policy Officer for IfL, and will be in Switzerland for a ‘study and media trip’, reporting exclusively for FE Week Each day I will be posting snippets from the trip on this web page, so stay tuned. Also follow the #FEweekontour hash-tag ——————————————————————————————————————— […]

Protect student governors

I remember distinctly the first time I attended my first ever College Corporation meeting as a student governor back in 2006. After a day of A levels, I’d change in to my new suit, replace my textbooks with equally heavy meeting papers and enter past the “no food or drinks past this point” sign on […]