Simon Kay

  • 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

  • Necessity breeds invention, and grade assessment has had to adapt quickly

    This crisis has shown how well we can make transitions in order to protect students’ interests, says Julie Mizon According to Dutch historian Rutger Bregman, crises bring out the best in us. And while it will take some time before we can assess the success of the rapid changes we’ve seen across the sector, there’s…

    6.00 May. 17th, 2020 | Opinion

  • It’s hard to argue that further college rationalisation isn’t needed

    Rationalisation needs to reconcile three very different types of college – and the grey areas in between, says John Cope It is almost impossible to identify when this was said: “Commissioners cannot repeat too often that they have been impressed with [the] technical knowledge of the masters and managers of industrial establishments on the Continent”,…

    6.00 May. 19th, 2020 | Opinion

  • The can has been shaken, so we must proceed with caution

    Re-opening campus is a high-risk, high-stress, physical and emotional challenge, says Stuart Rimmer. Here are some guiding principles to keep in mind At my school there was a boy called Dave. He was well off and (mostly) good hearted, so used to buy cans of Tango at break time for fellow students who were less…

    23.04 May. 14th, 2020 | Opinion

  • Why take on an apprentice during these challenging times? Here’s why

    If businesses in the hardest-hit sectors are to thrive post-lockdown, new skills and new ways of working will be essential, writes Stuart Shield For apprenticeship training providers and colleges up and down the country, the past month has seen a rapid shift to digital delivery. And, for many, it’s proving a great success. At Catch22,…

    8.00 May. 11th, 2020 | Opinion

  • One positive we’ll take from coronavirus is that it forced us to be innovative

    Students need support more than ever during the Covid-19 crisis, and rapidly finding new ways to reach and engage with them has been challenging and eye-opening, says Dave Hopley, director of student services at Stoke on Trent College The college halls are almost empty, but it’s been a busy day in student support services. This…

    8.00 May. 10th, 2020 | Opinion

  • Observations from a disappointed independent training provider

    It is a mistake for the ESFA to use the apprenticeship achievement rate to measure the quality of provision. Neil Davies explains the true context that should be considered I understand a journalist’s need to create the eye-catching headline, otherwise their article may get overlooked. A link to an article dropped into my inbox last…

    8.00 May. 9th, 2020 | Opinion