Opinion

Smelting apprenticeship gold: the alchemy of EQA

To avoid a conflict of interest, it would seem logical for Ofqual to take over external quality assurance for...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

Dear Robert, the apprenticeship allocation will cut our funding by over 80%

Colleges and training providers were sent a funding allocation on April 25, for apprenticeship starts from May to 31 December...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

ESFA pause will destroy good specialist providers

It was announced during the Easter break that the government’s decision over funding allocations for apprenticeship provision for non-levy-paying...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

What secret grade did you get?

This week we expose the ESFA’s top secret four-level grading system that gets applied to every one of just...

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
Opinion

ESFA was right to pause non-levy ITT process

The government’s decision over funding allocations for apprenticeship provision for non-levy-paying employers has been paused, to allow it more...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

I have made member feelings abundantly clear to the Agency’s leadership about the non-levy pause

Statement to members, reproduced here with permission Although most of the feedback from members that I have received about yesterday’s...

Mark Dawe
Mark Dawe
Opinion

Why is the NHS London Procurement Partnership charging fees to apprenticeship providers?

The NHS London Procurement Partnership responds to FE Week’s questions about new charges it plans to implement for apprenticeship procurement services....

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

Ofqual should not have double standards

One thing an assessment regulator should definitely not have is double standards; it undermines the core of their existence....

Mark Dawe
Mark Dawe
Opinion

The 20% off-the-job rule will make apprenticeships economically unviable

If employers have to let apprentices out one day a week as the SFA wants, the whole system may...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor