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29 April 2026

Author: Simon Kay

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Introducing… Christine Ricketts

Propelled rapidly upwards when her predecessor left, Christine Ricketts has been a steady hand on the wheel following troubled times at Brooklands College, in Surrey.  She had long aspired to be a deputy principal when Christine Ricketts spotted the advert for the role at Brooklands College, on the far outskirts of south-west London. She went […]

Squad UK for WorldSkills Shanghai 2021 named

Almost 150 young people have been named in WorldSkills UK’s official squad, marking them as candidates for the team that will head to WorldSkills 2021 in Shanghai. Winners from the national finals at WorldSkills UK LIVE in November were among the 137 young people announced to be joining Squad UK today. They will now undertake […]