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15 April 2026

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April fools: How we pulled it off

The Association of Colleges took FE by storm over Easter with its ‘plans’ for an anthem and a flag to raise the sector’s profile. The great and good even got involved with Skills Minister Matthew Hancock tweeting words of support. With a professional London-based media company, an Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter and former 4 Poofs […]

All sweet at FE Week

As if gold members weren’t a lucky enough lot with discounted entry to Lsect events, look at the kind of treats they get as well. Obviously, they’re all sweet enough as it is, but some Haribo Starmix always spark a smile. And now, week in week out, they’ll be receiving similar confectionery surprises along with […]

The post-Incorporation college: a not-so-sleeping giant

Leeds City College is one of the single largest providers of apprenticeships in the UK following the launch of the Apprenticeship Training Agency — jointly owned with the local authority — and the creation of the Food Academy at city centre restaurant Flannels. Now the third largest college in the UK with more than 40,000 […]

‘If that doesn’t work, we do it again.’ Really?

Next time you come across a member of your college marketing staff, treat him or her gently. They’re a much misunderstood lot, says Nick Warre In 1990 I was one of the first people in FE to have the word marketing in my job title. There were very few of us, and we were not […]

Forming an orderly queue to improve customer service

When the Association of Colleges helped give 31 enterprising colleges a permanent presence in India earlier this year, the initiative required a  level of customer service to match that of the best export companies. Education export services are already worth £14bn a year to the UK and are expected to rise to at least £22bn […]

Four into one equals success

City and Islington College, born in 1993, has faced challenges aplenty in its 20 years. Despite the blips, a birthday study shows how it has championed the community it serves, writes Andrew Morris Take two FE colleges, one sixth-form centre and one adult education service, mix together slowly, simmer on a gentle heat and what […]

How do you solve a problem like ‘college’?

Public confusion about the identity of a “college”, poor media perception of FE and a lack of skills among college press officers combine to prevent the sector getting better media coverage, it is argued. A brief study of journalists’ perceptions of the sector for FE Week points to a continued poor understanding among news editors […]

The rise of the entrepreneurial college

Former hairdressing apprentice Jodie Whitemore (pictured right) is running her own salon at the age of 20 while completing a foundation degree at West Nottinghamshire College. Just four years ago, she started her NVQ with no school-leaver qualifications and looked destined to add to the growing bank of NEET statistics. But Asha Khemka, her college […]

Leave us alone to get on with it, says Doel

Incorporation as the start of a challenge, not the end of one The journey to college self-improvement needs at least three to five years without political intervention, says Martin Doel (pictured), chief executive of the Association of Colleges. “I’m one of life’s optimists,” he insists. “We can achieve this through New Challenges, New Chances, which […]