Skills shortages

Power crisis: the UK’s infrastructure boom could stall before it starts

The government wants to build more homes, greener energy, and major infrastructure – but a fast-declining electrical workforce could...

Jessica Hill
Chris Claydon
Careers, Politics

Jeremy Hunt is wrong if he thinks entry level roles aren’t vital

Despite fears that AI will eliminate entry-level jobs, demand for them remains strong in the accountancy sector. But outdated...

Jessica Hill
Clare Dye
Adult education

It’s wrong that nobody knows if the adult skills fund actually works

Unlike apprenticeships, adult skills funding operates in a data black hole. Should the grant-allocated system in adult education be...

Jessica Hill
Aidan Relf
Colleges

Why FE colleges must lead the fight against coercive control

When our students took the stage to perform scenes of coercive control, their raw performances revealed an uncomfortable truth:...

Jessica Hill
John Revill and Tanya Schottlander
Ofsted

The unseen impact of Ofsted: What one grade can really cost

How a single Ofsted grade for a small part of overall provision triggered contract losses, staff redundancies and even...

Jessica Hill
Ian Ross
The Staffroom - opinion

Colleges should be civil society guardians in a more uncivil world

As populism rises and trust in institutions crumbles, FE colleges are quietly doing the vital work of rebuilding civil...

Jessica Hill
Henry Taylor-Toone
Adult education

For Access to HE students, bills now matter more than books

Data shows economic pressures are the biggest barriers to learning but the tools we developed during Covid offer a...

Jessica Hill
Ken Duckett
Training Providers

The country needs us so why treat ITPs as second-class providers?

Independent training providers are treated unfairly with unequal access to funds so it’s time funding followed the learner, not...

Jessica Hill
Stuart Allen
Apprenticeships

I know how apprenticeships can fail… these reforms can fix that

Changes to funding rules are to be applauded but employers and providers must embrace their spirit

Jessica Hill
James Kimble