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More than 180 representatives from colleges, training providers, universities and government agencies packed Morley College’s main hall during the one warm summer’s day we had late last month for the Lsect Summer Term Data Conference. The termly conference, which is organised by Lsect, the publisher of FE Week, had a full agenda that treated delegates […]

Krissy Charles-Jones is determined that the subcontracting of apprenticeships has to change. The chief executive of Bright International Training told the Apprenticeships England conference last week about the impact on her business when her prime contractor pulled the funding of a cohort of learners on a pilot programme. “This left us in a difficult position. […]

Hundreds of skilled and talented FE students from across the UK last week fought for a chance to take place in WorldSkills, the world’s largest skills competition. They descended upon Stephenson College and North Hinckley and Warwickshire College, following the confectionery selections held in London late last month. After months of preparation, competitors underwent a […]

As another review into apprenticeships begins, guest reporter Shane Chowen visits Switzerland and reports on what we can learn from their apprenticeship system “For me the decision was easy. Most of the students at my school got apprenticeships, my dad did an apprenticeship; it’s a normal thing to do here. I’m looking forward to working […]

On June 18 Shane Chowen took a four-day break from his full-time job as Policy Officer for IfL and travelled to Switzerland for a ‘study and media trip’, reporting exclusively for FE Week What’s clear from day one is that you can’t help but be impressed with the Swiss set-up for apprenticeships. In fact, as […]

This year’s VQ Day was a chance to celebrate technical, practical and vocational learning. But it was also a chance day for business secretary Vince Cable to remember the difference that further education made to his parents’ lives. “My mother and father both left school at 15 to work in factories and they progressed in […]

Forget the Olympics, this summer’s top event is learners, apprentices and employees competing for a place in Squad UK for WorldSkills Leipzig 2013. WorldSkills, the biggest international skills competition, is held every two years in one of 61 member countries. About 1,000 young people aged 18 to 23 compete for medals in more than 40 […]

L-R: Graham Hoyle OBE, AELP, Martin Dunford,OBE, AELP, Sarah Benioff, NAS, David Russell, DfE and Martin Doel, AoC The skills minister said he had “unfinished business” with pre-apprenticeships on the first day of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) National Conference 2012. John Hayes MP said the government needed to provide a “better […]

The findings in the Tenon report feel a little unsubstantiated in places. However, what the FE sector should be worried about is the underlying message and detailed data manipulation methods. Changing the ends dates of courses retrospectively, removing overseas or work-based learners from their ILR return and using transfer codes to remove students from specific […]