Simon Kay

  • Mental Health & Wellbeing in FE

    There have been countless reports and surveys in recent years which all point to one conclusion: the world is facing a mental health crisis. And this has only been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In March 2021, a survey of 49,000 people in English-speaking countries published by the Mental Health Million Project found almost half…

    9.05 Apr. 1st, 2021 | Supplements

  • National Apprenticeship Week 2021 | Supplement

    Download our special supplement showcasing National Apprenticeship Week 2021, published in partnership with NCFE. It has been a year like no other for apprenticeships which, like so many parts of the employment and training sector, have taken a substantial hit from the coronavirus pandemic. Official Department for Education data shows there were 60,860 apprenticeship starts…

    9.36 Feb. 16th, 2021 | News, Supplements

  • Winners of the National Apprenticeship Awards 2020 announced

    “Outstanding” employers and individuals have been recognised at this year’s National Apprenticeship Awards – including a Great Ormond Street Hospital apprentice who has been on the frontline in the battle against Covid-19. The ten winners and 18 highly commended finalists (see table below) were named at the awards, which are in their 17th year and took place this evening as an…

    21.10 Nov. 25th, 2020 | News

  • BTEC Awards 2021 | CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF THE BTEC AWARDS!

    This year marks ten years of the BTEC Awards. That’s ten years of celebrating individuals exceeding in vocational pursuits. Ten years of glamorous award ceremonies, even though 2020’s took place virtually. And ten years of the BTEC Awards promoting the sector with a highly competitive contest, not just between excellent learners, but excellent educators and…

    11.13 Nov. 24th, 2020 | News, Supplements

  • The Revival of Traineeships

    14.57 Oct. 13th, 2020 | Supplements

  • Revealed: First 20 colleges chosen for the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence

    The 20 colleges which will take part in the first year of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence have been announced today. The “centre”, run by WorldSkills UK with £1.5 million from awarding organisation NCFE, will involve training up teachers in international best practices, as well as digital workshops featuring talks from training managers from…

    0.01 Sep. 21st, 2020 | News

  • Second round of ESFA Covid-19 supplier relief attracts 112 provider bids

    Just 112 providers applied for the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s second Covid-19 supplier relief scheme – and 35 of those were colleges. The majority of bids – 70 – were to claim apprenticeship support only, while 14 applications went in just for adult education budget (AEB) relief. A total of 28 submissions were for…

    12.07 Jul. 29th, 2020 | News

  • Revealed: The 20 college partnerships to share the £5.4m College Collaboration Fund

    Twenty college partnerships will receive grants through a fund designed to develop greater collaboration across the sector, the government announced today. Skills minister Gillian Keegan has named the winners of the £5.4 million College Collaboration Fund (CCF). It builds on the Strategic College Improvement Fund. The 20 partnerships are: CCF lead college Partner colleges Dudley…

    12.18 Jul. 23rd, 2020 | News

  • Why a ‘right to retrain’ is essential for an inclusive recovery

    The outbreak of coronavirus will permanently change the shape of our economy. In adapting to this change, we must minimise the number of people locked out of the labour market by introducing a turbo-charged ‘right to retrain’. This should be locally led and focus on those most at risk of losing their jobs as a…

    17.03 Jun. 1st, 2020 | Opinion

  • T- Levels - The NexT Level qualification?

    A FE Week supplement ahead of the T-Level launch in September 2020. Published in partnership with NCFE.

    15.49 May. 22nd, 2020 | Supplements

  • Former adviser to skills minister calls for temporary ban on new adult apprentices

    The response to the pandemic recession must centre on supporting those who are finishing their education and those who are struggling to find work, says Tom Richmond Given the controversy surrounding the apprenticeship levy before the outbreak of Covid-19, it is unsurprising to see calls for the levy to be reformed as part of the…

    6.00 May. 18th, 2020 | Opinion