We need a ‘UCAS for adults’ and the DWP can help develop it

The skills white paper pledges to “make lifelong learning a reality”. But for this to happen, the adult lifelong learner needs three things: A positive experience of compulsory education, confidence in their ability to achieve success in learning, and assurance that improving their skills and qualifications will enhance the quality of their life and/or increase their earnings.

The first two often go hand in hand. Getting the qualifications at school or college to progress into a well-paid career gives people an ongoing self-belief in their ability to achieve good results. This is true for around two thirds of the school population.

Quite rightly, the document focuses on the 31 per cent who don’t progress well and asks: what can be done to improve non A-level education to get more pupils enjoying and succeeding at school?

Their answer – to replace all technical and vocational qualifications at level 3 with V Levels – addresses only a small part of the problem. The curriculum and assessment review’s recommendations to provide the diversity of young learners with stronger routes to a variety of positive destinations – not only “going to uni” – is much more promising.

The white paper barely touches upon the third prerequisite for the adult lifelong learner – seeing the relevance of continuing formal learning to boost careers. There is only passing reference to an adult careers advice. And in contrast to the moves to simplify 16-18 vocational education, a vision is presented of an adult skills system of labyrinthine complexity.

Adult learners will be confronted with a smorgasbord of options: College-based adult courses, sector skills packages, bootcamps, sector-based work academies, lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) courses and new “apprenticeship units”.

These will be overseen at national level by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education supported by Skills England; at sector level by “sector coalitions” of employers, providers and government; and at local level by strategic local authorities through engagement with local skills improvement plans and control over devolved adult skills funds.

Providers and those responsible for local delivery strategies are questioning how all these training products and services will be effectively coordinated.

And how will students navigate this? Who will provide the lifelong learner with what they most need – clarity over which new learning and qualifications will give them the best returns on their investment?

The answer must surely be to build a greatly enhanced careers advice information and guidance (CIAG) service, accessible to adults across the country – a “UCAS for adults”.

Online services won’t be enough; such a service will need to interact with colleges and adult education services and have regular face-to-face contact, just as UCAS web-based information is backed up by a network of advisers in schools and colleges.

Adult learners are an enormously diverse group who may not have had positive prior experiences of education, with varying readiness for further learning. 

A good quality national adult CIAG service will come at a cost, and in the current financial climate it will be challenging for providers to find additional resources. But the transfer of skills to DWP provides opportunities.

The hubs for much of the Great Britain Working initiatives are local Jobcentres, which until now have been focused on helping unemployed clients find immediate short-term jobs. Giving them a wider remit to look at the longer-term skills needs and ambitions of their clients would enable the development of a stronger network of CIAG services properly resourced to Gatsby standards, and fill some of the gaps, especially for “left behind” adults.

In this respect the merger of the National Careers Service into JobCentre Plus announced last year is very positive. It will bring a new influx of skilled professionals with the right attributes to help deliver a service with real impact.

It was also encouraging to see a Jobcentre in Waltham Forest College held up as an example of good practice following DWP secretary Pat McFadden’s visit; we need more of this synergistic thinking.

The white paper’s proposals provide many of the jigsaw pieces for a properly joined-up lifelong learning strategy. But there are bits missing, and the pieces cry out to be connected to make a coherent picture – of an education system that encourages the lifelong learner to thrive.

We need to deliver a new V Level vision for Level 3

It is exciting to see the curriculum and assessment review (CAR) recommendations for the introduction of V Levels become government policy.

This marks a genuine opportunity to simplify and clarify the post-16 qualification landscape. At present, young people, parents and employers must navigate a complex mix of qualifications, differing in size, grading approach and recognition.

For too long, questions have persisted about the coherence, quality and status of vocational qualifications. While A Levels are well established as a respected academic route, the large and varied range of vocational and technical qualifications has lacked consistency and clarity. CAR’s findings confirmed long-standing concerns about applied general qualifications (AGQs) and the resulting confusion among learners, parents, employers and stakeholders.

Previous reform attempts, from the 14–19 diplomas to proposals to withdraw AGQs, have faltered through issues such as flawed design or political change. Too often, these efforts have failed to recognise that many 16-year-olds are still exploring their direction and should not be forced into rigid pathways too early.

We heard clearly that the previous two-pillar model of A Levels and T Levels was not sustainable and would not meet the needs of all young people or UK PLC.

T Levels are proving valuable as rigorous, occupation-specific qualifications. For example, the T Level in education & early Years is working well. But CAR identified areas for improvement, particularly in the size, duration and complexity of assessment, which are intensified by some pathways having a May completion deadline.

Even with improvements, A Levels and T Levels cannot meet the needs of every learner. Some students want to explore a sector rather than a specific job. Others prefer applied learning or mixed study programmes.

The vision for V Levels

CAR concluded that applied and vocational qualifications require greater coherence and purpose. We therefore support simplifying the current range of qualification types and sizes, while maintaining the flexibility needed to serve diverse learners and employers. Although excessive diversity has caused confusion, it often evolved for good reasons, including the need to engage young people at risk of becoming NEET. Any reform must protect that inclusive intent.

We support the government’s view that most V Levels should be small qualifications, giving students flexibility to combine them in a suite of vocational awards or with A Levels. This approach also supports continued study of maths or English, where needed. However for some disciplines, such as art and sport, larger qualifications will remain essential. Subject experts in these areas need to have the ability to sequence learning around skill development and creative progression.

Some routes to higher education or employment benefit from larger qualifications that offer a holistic approach. For example in social care, broad qualifications reduce unnecessary repetition of common topics such as health and safety. For vulnerable learners, the stability of a substantial qualification can also aid engagement and retention.

Larger qualifications enable teachers to plan and integrate learning effectively, promoting deeper understanding and better progression. By contrast, managing multiple smaller qualifications can increase bureaucracy without improving outcomes.

While it may be tempting to make all large qualifications T Levels, doing so risks undermining the distinct identity and purpose of T Levels as occupation-specific routes. V Levels and T Levels must be differentiated by purpose, not just size.

Moving forward

Drawing on lessons from past reforms, we hope the government’s consultation on V Levels will:

1. Maintain the three-pillar vision (A Levels, T Levels and V Levels) outlined in the post-16 white paper.

2. Ensure that practical effectiveness, not administrative neatness, drives design and implementation.

3. Keep learners’ experiences and progression at the centre, alongside the needs of providers, employers and Skills England.

4. Undertake robust impact modelling to ensure reforms enhance, rather than restrict, the life chances of the largely working-class cohort currently studying AGQs.

The white paper shows strong alignment between CAR’s recommendations and the Department for Education (DfE)’s strategy. It now falls to the sector to pick up the baton, to work collaboratively and proactively with the great team at DfE to deliver on this shared vision.

If we do this, we can avoid the missteps of the past and create an ambitious, clear and impactful post-16 tapestry fit for the future.

Degree apprenticeships less accessible to disadvantaged young people than Russell Group unis

Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to take up degree apprenticeships than to study at elite Russell Group universities, according to new research.

A study by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has warned that the inclusivity of degree apprenticeships – a route promoted by government as an engine of social mobility – is falling short of expectations and risks becoming “another middle-class preserve”.

Using latest government data, EPI found that just 10.7 per cent of 18 to 24 year old level 6 degree apprentices in 2022-23 were identified as disadvantaged. That compares with 11.4 per cent of undergraduates at Russell Group universities, 19.4 per cent of all undergraduates, and 26 per cent of the wider 18-year-old cohort.

The findings suggest that degree apprenticeships, despite showing strong achievement rates and high post-graduation salaries, are currently “less inclusive” for disadvantaged young people than even the most selective universities.

Ministers and experts have warned of a middle-class grab on apprenticeships since 2018. Similar research by the Sutton Trust has urged officials to get a grip on access opportunities for degree apprenticeships.

Lee Elliot Major, professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, told FE Week: “Degree apprenticeships have huge potential to be engines of social mobility – but only if they genuinely serve students from all backgrounds. We must do better in opening up these routes to all. 

“It would be a huge national tragedy if, for all the rhetoric about expanding vocational pathways, they became another middle-class preserve, reinforcing the stark opportunity divides they were designed to close.”

Alun Francis, chair of the Social Mobility Commission and chief executive of Blackpool and the Fylde College, said it was “not a surprise” to find that degree apprenticeships have a similar profile to Russell Group universities in terms of socio-economic background as they “are in very short supply, so employers tend to seek out those with the highest grades”. 

But, he added, “social mobility is not simply about diversity metrics; it’s also about how the economy grows and brings wider benefits across society.  That’s what creates opportunities for all, not just the lucky few”.

The EPI urged the government to extend the reintroduction of maintenance grants for traditional degree students to include degree apprentices, and expand targeted outreach programmes to widen participation.

Degree apprenticeships boom

Degree apprenticeships were introduced in 2015 to offer an alternative to traditional degrees by combining paid, work-based training with university-level study. The model has been championed by ministers as a way to address skills shortages and open new pathways into higher education without tuition fee debt.

The EPI’s report said that following two years of slow growth, starts on degree apprenticeships rose rapidly from 2017.

Around 2,800 young people aged 18 to 24 started a level 6 degree apprenticeship in 2017-18 compared to almost 9,500 in 2022-23.

Source: EPI

In 2023-24, the most popular sectors for young degree apprentices were health (27.5 per cent of the overall cohort), construction (22.3 per cent) and digital technology (16.9 per cent) sectors.

London remains the most popular place for young people starting a degree apprenticeship (19.1 per cent), followed by the north west (15.1 per cent). Take-up is lowest in the north east (3 per cent of all starts in 2023-24).

Achievement rates are higher among degree apprenticeships compared to lower-level apprenticeships. Degree apprenticeship achievement rates were 71 per cent for 16 to 18 year olds and 63.8 per cent for 19 to 23 year olds in 2023-24. That compares to the national achievement rate of 60.5 per cent.

The EPI said degree apprenticeship achievement rates are similar between students from the most and least deprived areas of England.

But the report also highlights stark differences in completion rates depending on where apprentices live and the sectors they work in. 

Those training in social sciences had a 96.4 per cent achievement rate in 2023-24, while education trainees had 85.7 per cent and health degree apprentices hit 79.8 per cent.

At the lower end, business degree apprentices had a 57.1 per cent achievement rate, those studying in retail had 51.3 per cent and those in construction had 32.6 per cent.

EPI also found that apprentices from minority ethnic backgrounds – including Black African, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian, and those of mixed or other backgrounds – all show lower odds of completing their apprenticeship compared with White British apprentices, after controlling for other characteristics.

Call for action amid positive earnings data

Meanwhile, early earnings data shows degree apprenticeships can deliver strong economic returns. EPI exploratory analysis based on the latest two years of available data shows that one year after graduation, the average young degree apprentice earned around double that of the average young graduate – £36,785 vs £18,555 in 2020-21.

The report added that the “average young degree apprentice salary one year after completion remains larger than even degree-holders who graduated 10 years ago”.

However, EPI cautioned that these positive outcomes risk being undermined if disadvantaged students continue to be underrepresented.

Source: EPI

David Robinson, EPI’s director for post-16 and skills, said degree apprenticeships were “a compelling alternative” to university, but warned that “it is now critical that the government and the wider sector actively work to widen participation and ensure this valuable route is open to all”.

Francis said: “We have chronic problems of low growth, static productivity and regional disparities. But the answer to this problem isn’t to start micro-managing who stands where in the opportunity queue.

“Quite simply, we need much stronger innovation and growth, and a rapid expansion of apprenticeship opportunities of all kinds — across the whole country.”

The government was approached for comment.

Sixth form college teachers accept 4% pay rise

Sixth form college teachers have accepted a pay award of 4 per cent but have rejected workload proposals by leaders.

The national joint council staff side committee, representing sixth form teachers in the National Education Union (NEU) and the NASUWT union, have accepted the pay offer that will match their school counterparts for the 2025-26 academic year.

Over 4,300 NEU members across 72 colleges were recently consulted on the pay and workload offer tabled by the Sixth Form College Association (SFCA), representing sixth form college leaders.

Just under 94 per cent of NEU members voted yes to the 4 per cent pay offer, based on a 62.9 per cent turnout.

The union 2025-26 pay claim demanded a pay increase above the RPI rate of inflation (4.5 per cent) from 1 September 2025 on all pay points and allowances and an extra pay rise from September 1 for London-based teachers.

The SCFA offer, which was accepted, included a 4 per cent “across the board” uplift as well as a 4 per cent increase on all location and responsibility allowances from September 1.

The pay award matches the schoolteacher pay rise for this academic year, which was accepted just before the summer.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “NEU sixth form college teachers have accepted a pay award matching that received by their peers in schools, which goes some way to putting right the pay injustice experienced by non-academised college teachers last year caused by inadequate funding.”

Last year, the SCFA dropped a judicial review threat after it secured a “one-off” £50 million award from ministers to help fund FE college and sixth form teacher pay awards between April and July 2025.

But teachers in non-academised sixth form colleges were excluded from the 5.5 per cent 2024-25 pay award offered to teachers in schools and academised sixth forms.

Around 2,000 NEU sixth form members walked out for eight days claiming the deal would create a “two-tier” sector.

Teachers ultimately approved a 4.3 per cent pay offer and in February, the NEU had suspended two days of strikes to consult on the government’s assurances that no two-tier offers will be made for future years.

In the same period, NASUWT union members in 23 sixth form colleges voted for strike action – in a ballot that “confusingly” included academised sixth forms, who were receiving the 5.5 per cent pay rise that the union was demanding. The strike ultimately did not go ahead.

Workload: ‘We cannot accept these half measures’

The pay claim also asked for several workload flexibilities, including extra planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time for teachers; limits on contact hours; limits on class sizes; strengthened terms and conditions that allow teachers to “rarely cover” only in unforeseen circumstances; and agreed principles on directed time as well as workload.

Based on a 61.4 per cent response rate, 86.6 per cent of members rejected the SFCA’s proposals, which offered “accelerate joint discussions” to an agreed timetable on teacher workload and working time.

The NEU had demanded that the joint discussions would reach an agreed position by the close of the autumn term 2025.

A further workload negotiation between the SFCA and the National Joint Council’s working party on workload will take place on November 27.

“Members have clearly signalled that they expect significant movement by the SFCA on all of their workload demands,” Kebede said.

“While there has been some progress made in negotiations, sixth form college teachers want the employer side to go further still, particularly around genuinely protected time for teachers to plan, prepare and assess as their school counterparts receive.

“We cannot accept half-measures. Now is the time to introduce substantial workload protections across all sixth form colleges, to meet the changing conditions of the 2020s.”

A spokesperson for the SFCA said: “We are pleased that agreement has been reached on the pay settlement for teachers for 2025-26.

“This is a competitive agreement and provides a pay increase for all NJC teachers above the rate of CPI inflation and more than the vast majority of other public sector workers. We are engaged in constructive discussions with the staff side on teacher workload and these will continue during the Autumn term.”

NASUWT was approached for comment.

FE college ballot ongoing

Meanwhile, unions representing FE college staff recently negotiated a 4 per cent pay award, but the Association of Colleges admitted that “many” of its college members will be unable to afford it.

Unlike in schools and sixth form colleges, negotiated pay recommendations are not binding, meaning college leaders can decide pay rises themselves.

Staff unions have been calling for binding national bargaining for several years and the University and College Union (UCU) polled its FE members in the summer and found 86 per cent were prepared to take strike action to secure an “above inflation pay rise, binding national bargaining and a national workload agreement”.

The union wrote to 76 college principals to outline its demands ahead of announcing a formal ballot.

UCU subsequently opened a ballot, which is running from October 13 to November 17, asking members at 68 colleges to vote whether to strike over the above demands.

NHS’ Hadfield to chair Weston as college’s condition improves

Weston College has appointed Jane Hadfield as its new permanent chair of governors, following its exit from financial intervention.

Hadfield, national lead for apprenticeships at NHS England, has replaced Tim Jackson, who led as interim chair when the college was embattled with a “traumatic” financial notice to improve.

Jackson was parachuted in last May from the FE Commissioner’s office when multi-million-pound payments to ex-principal Sir Paul Phillips were exposed.

Fraud investigators uncovered governance failures around the disclosure of financial information including high pay packages to Phillips after his retirement.

Meanwhile, the Department for Education sent auditors from BDO to examine “other aspects” of financial controls at the college. These investigations are ongoing.

In early October, the south west college emerged from the FE Commissioner’s financial probe after leaders proved they had strengthened governance and audit procedures, and remuneration processes for senior staff.

Pat Jones, who was appointed principal in July 2024, said at the time the saga had been “traumatic for colleagues” and moving out of intervention was a “significant step in the journey of putting this behind us”.

Jones said Hadfield was appointed due to her “clear passion” for supporting learners and the wider community as well as working with the college to deliver cohorts of apprentices.

Hadfield, a former nurse, has been a resident in north Somerset for 40 years and her daughter also attended Weston College.

“Jane’s integrity, compassion, and ambition shine through everything she does,” Jones said.

“She has a clear passion for supporting our learners and the wider community, and we look forward to working closely with her as we embark on an exciting new chapter in Weston College’s journey towards becoming an extraordinary college.”

Hadfield said she was “absolutely thrilled” to be taking on the role.

“The college plays such an important role in supporting the local community – something I feel deeply passionate about,” she said.

“I am particularly looking forward to helping widen participation and improve access to education and training opportunities across our region, enabling people from all backgrounds to thrive and grow.”

Hadfield was also a board member of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) until it was abolished earlier this year to make way for Skills England.

She had chaired numerous IfATE’s employer-led trailblazer groups for health and science, including the T Level employer panel for health.

Earlier this year, Hadfield was celebrated with the special recognition award at the Apprenticeship and Training Awards (ATAs), run jointly by FE Week and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers.

She was also the employer co-chair of St Martin’s Group, a representative of employers and awarding organisations that support employer-led skills training.

A Decade of Impact: Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards Celebrate 10 Years of Inspiring Change at Landmark London Event

Founded by The Pathway Group, in partnership with the world’s lifelong learning company Pearson, this year’s milestone event represented a powerful moment of reflection, growth, and renewed purpose. Since its inception in 2015, the Awards have engaged more than 3,000 apprentices, 500 employers, and 100 learning providers across every major sector, a remarkable journey of transformation, inclusion, and innovation.

Hosted in London for the first time, the move to the capital signifies the Awards’ growing national impact and expanding mission to engage communities from every region of the UK. The evening was co-hosted by presenter Tommy Sandhu, alongside 2024 Young Professional of the Year and Arup apprentice Santina Bunting.

Opening the evening, Oliver Latham, VP Enterprise, EMEA, Enterprise Learning & Skills at Pearson, said: “I’d like to congratulate all the winners of the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards. Pearson is proud to be a partner and we actively promote and support apprenticeships in our own business and with customers. Apprenticeships create opportunities for people in all walks of life, and give people the tools they need to make a direct impact in the workplace and realise their potential.”

With over 500 nominations received this year, 152 apprentices, 44 employers, 14 learning providers, 8 universities, and 8 schools were shortlisted, each representing a story of ambition, determination and excellence.

A theme of ‘Resilience’ resonated throughout the evening, as winning apprentices shared powerful journeys of overcoming adversity, from homelessness and life-threatening illness, to personal hardship and systemic barriers.

Amongst the standout winners were:

  • Simona Olok Kweya, NatWest Group, winner of Level 3 Apprentice of the Year, whose journey from growing up in a low-income background with no previous banking experience to a trusted Assistant Relationship Manager within six months exemplifies courage and determination.
  • Aliea Mahmood, Great Ormond Street Hospital, winner of Health, Medical & Social Care Apprentice of the Year, recognised for her nine-year apprenticeship journey, culminating in her pioneering an AI model predicting kidney failure, the first of its kind in the UK.
  • Efan Mutembo, Worldline UK&I, winner of Digital & Technology Apprentice of the Year, for developing the UK’s first rail chatbot and delivering a key role in a multi-million-pound project.
  • Zain Ali Khan, McDonald’s, winner of Retail, Hospitality & Tourism Apprentice of the Year, for leading one of the UK’s busiest McDonald’s restaurants with over 100 staff at just 21 years old.
  • Adesewa Adetoro, Microsoft, winner of Creative, Media & Marketing Apprentice of the Year, for being a young, neurodiverse woman championing representation and inclusion in tech and marketing through national and corporate engagement and having of a philosophy of “I won’t just sit at the table, I’ll make sure there are more chairs”.

Organisations including AstraZeneca, Royal Mail, BBC, and The University of Wolverhampton were honoured for their outstanding contribution to apprenticeships, while Alperton Community School made history as the first ever School of the Year, recognised for its pioneering programme transforming opportunities for underrepresented students.

Sharon Blyfield OBE, Head of Early Careers and Apprenticeships at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, received the Overall Commitment to Diversity in Apprenticeships award for her outstanding leadership and advocacy.

The evening culminated in Isha Ahmed, Architectural Assistant Apprentice at WW+P Architects, being crowned Apprentice of the Year 2025. Isha’s trailblazing work in architecture and tireless advocacy for diversity, mentorship, and apprenticeship funding embodies the transformative spirit of the Awards.

Reflecting on the event, Safaraz Ali, Founder of the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards and CEO of Pathway Group, said:

“As we celebrate ten years of progress, we’re reminded that apprenticeships don’t just change careers, they change lives. Our mission remains to celebrate, elevate and connect talent from every community. Together, we’re building a stronger, fairer, and more inclusive future for all.”

Full List of Winners
Apprentice of the Year 2025 (sponsored by Pearson)

Isha Ahmed – WW+P Architects (London South Bank University)

Commitment to Apprenticeships (sponsored by Multicultural Apprenticeship & Skills Alliance)

Dan Howard (Partnership Development Director at Lifetime Training) & Lucy Hunte (National Programme Manager of Apprenticeships at NHS England)

Overall Contribution to Apprenticeships (sponsored by Pathway Group)

Kirstie Donnelly MBE (CEO of City & Guilds)

Overall Commitment to Diversity in Apprenticeships (sponsored by Pathway Group)

Sharon Blyfield OBE (Head of Early Careers at Coca-Cola Euro Pacific Partners)

Accounting & Finance (sponsored by Kaplan Financial)

Apprentice Winner – Ahmed Ali – Lloyds Banking Group (Kaplan)

Employer Winner – Chaucer Group

Management & Professional Services (sponsored by Mindful Education)

Apprentice Winner – Martin Lin – KPMG (BPP)

Employer Winner – Vialto Partners

Legal Services (sponsored by City Century)

Apprentice Winner – Amina Batool – TLT LLP (BPP)

Charity, Voluntary & Public Services (sponsored by NCFE)

Apprentice Winner – Iqra Jaffary – Broxtowe Borough Council (Damar Training)

Employer Winner – Skills and Education Group

Health, Medical & Social Care (sponsored by Royal Navy)

Apprentice Winner – Aliea Mahmood – Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (Cambridge Spark)

Employer Winner – AstraZeneca

Construction Services (sponsored by Severn Trent)

Apprentice Winner – Isha Ahmed – WW+P Architects (London South Bank University)

Employer Winner – BAM UK & Ireland

Engineering & Manufacturing (sponsored by JTL Training)

Apprentice Winner – Prithvi Ramesh – Rolls-Royce (UWE Bristol / Weston College)

Employer Winner – E.ON UK

Digital & Technology (sponsored by BT Group)

Apprentice Winner – Efan Mutembo – Worldline UK&I (QA)

Employer Winner – Capgemini

Creative, Media & Marketing (sponsored by Occupational Awards Limited)

Apprentice Winner – Adesewa Adetoro – Microsoft (QA)

Employer Winner – BBC

Retail, Hospitality & Tourism (sponsored by Lifetime Training)

Apprentice Winner – Zain Ali Khan – McDonald’s (Manchester Metropolitan University)

Employer Winner – B&Q

Transport & Logistics (sponsored by British Army)

Apprentice Winner – Yoosuf Riyaldeen – Amazon (University of Roehampton, London / QA)

Employer Winner – Royal Mail

Intermediate Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by Skills & Education Group)

Level 2 Winner – Christian Chukwuemeka Ejimadu – Amazon (Qualitrain)

Level 3 Winner – Simona Olok Kweya – NatWest Group (BPP)

Judges’ Choice (sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group)

Winner – Nuzha Noukri – Visa (QA)

Small, Medium Employer of the Year (sponsored by Amazing Apprenticeships)

Winner – Mahirs Experience

Large Employer of the Year (sponsored by NOCN Group)

Winner – Compass Group UK & Ireland

Learning Provider of the Year (sponsored by the Association of Employment and Learning Providers)

Small Learning Provider Winner – Blackpool and The Fylde College

Large Learning Provider Winner – HIT Training

University of the Year (sponsored by AstraZeneca)

Winner – University of Wolverhampton

School of the Year (sponsored by City & Guilds)

Winner – Alperton Community School

Learn more about the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards: https://multiculturalapprenticeshipawards.co.uk/

Revealed: New Ofsted triggers for college intervention

Colleges could be forced to change their leaders if Ofsted finds they are failing to meet local skills needs.

The move is part of new reforms to the government’s college oversight framework, refreshed today as Ofsted’s new “report card” inspection model is rolled out.

Overall headline grades have been removed and the watchdog will now grade colleges in up to 16 individual areas on a five-point scale from ‘exceptional’, ‘strong standard’ and ‘expected standard’ to ‘needs attention’ and ‘urgent improvement’.

This shift allows for a “more nuanced understanding of provider performance and enables targeted responses”, the DfE said.

The department’s guidance revealed three tiers of support, led by new regional improvement teams: “Universal support around driving best practice; targeted support where improvement needs are identified; and intensive support – where colleges have hit a trigger for intervention.”

‘Urgent improvement’ consequences

Under the new rules, if Ofsted judges a college’s contribution to meeting skills needs as ‘urgent improvement’, this “may lead to targeted support or the college being placed in intervention”.

If a college is placed into intervention, the FE Commissioner will take over from regional improvement teams and has the power to enforce changes to governance or leadership as well as funding restrictions.

Officials will also place a college into intervention where ‘leadership and governance’ or ‘inclusion’ is judged as ‘urgent improvement’ or where safeguarding is ‘not met’.

Ofsted began judging colleges on how well they were contributing to local skills demands in 2022 through “enhanced inspections”. Until now colleges have been rated along a scale of either ‘strong’, ‘reasonable’ or ‘limited’ for this category, none of which have been used to trigger intervention.

There are seven colleges that made a ‘limited contribution’ to local skills from their latest inspection, according to Ofsted’s inspection data up to August 31, 2025.

Provision-level concerns

Today’s guidance stated that where provision-level evaluation areas are graded as ‘urgent improvement’, this will “normally lead to targeted support or action depending on circumstances”.

The DfE said: “The overarching ambition is to ensure our action is proportionate while upholding high quality standards.

“Any finding of ‘urgent improvement’ may also lead to a college receiving a letter to improve, and an FE Commissioner led improvement review, neither of which would be published. Should there be continued concerns about the college’s capacity to improve then the college could be escalated to intervention.”

Where provider-wide or provision-level evaluation areas are judged as ‘needs attention’, the focus will “normally be on targeted support in some circumstances”.

The DfE said: “For example where a college is ‘needs attention’ across multiple areas or is combined with other finance or governance risks a commissioner improvement review may be triggered. This is most likely to take place after other forms of support have been offered.”

College report cards will list three grades for each provision type; apprenticeships, high needs, programmes for young people and programmes for adults. Each area will get a grade for curriculum, teaching and training; achievement and participation; and development. 

Ofsted has committed to monitoring inspections of colleges with any evaluation areas graded as requiring ‘urgent improvement’ or ‘needs attention’ or where safeguarding is ‘not met’.

These monitoring inspections may result in a change to grade for the areas, published through an updated report card. And where there is evidence of decline, Ofsted may decide to carry out a full inspection.

Private ’targeted support’ to replace public college intervention in ‘most cases’

A new stage of more confidential “targeted support” has been added to the government’s college oversight regime.

Department for Education (DfE) guidance published today details “a more prioritised” college support system that will “increasingly and more systematically” target improvement by the next academic year.

Regional improvement teams (RITs) staffed by DfE officials and helped by a lead regional deputy further education commissioner (FEC) will manage ‘targeted support’, a new “tier” of oversight that it hopes will replace formal intervention in most cases.

The DfE says RITs will benefit “around 70,000 college students”, helping to “break the link” between background and success.

Revised oversight guidance sets out three tiers of support for colleges: universal support based on sharing best practice, targeted support for “colleges that would benefit most”, and intensive support for “challenges that cannot be resolved through improvement alone”.

Performance concerns the improvement teams are expected to address include not meeting local skills needs, poor financial management, leadership and governance failures or poor quality of provision.

‘Non-published letters’

If “serious risks” are flagged or a college refuses to accept targeted support “voluntarily”, RITs can issue a “non-published” ‘letter to improve’ that will mandate an FEC-led “improvement review”.

The new guidance says letters and reviews will not be published and the improvement team’s involvement will not be “seen as intervention”.

This behind-closed-doors approach appears to differ from the DfE’s quality improvement-focused Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams, which name “stuck” schools and academies they are working with in a regularly updated public list.

The DfE has been asked to clarify why this new tier of support for colleges whose performance raises concerns will remain private.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Every young person deserves a brilliant education, and these new teams will help to drive improvements and share best practice in colleges across the country.

“By providing targeted support where it’s needed most, we’re delivering on our commitment to break down barriers to opportunity and give young people the best possible start in their careers.”

Who are RITs?

RITs will be staffed by DfE officials who “currently oversee” colleges and ITPs – paired with a lead deputy FE commissioner who can provide “expert practitioner advice”, the guidance says.

It is unclear whether RITs will replace or work alongside teams of officials known as ‘place-based teams’, who manage day-to-day relations with college leaders, monitor performance, and ultimately decide on intervention actions.

Place-based teams are currently split into three large regions for the whole of England.

Avoid formal intervention

The department hopes targeted support will avoid formal intervention, which includes publishing formal intervention notices and reports summarising failures at colleges.

“While some issues will always trigger immediate intervention or use of the secretary of state’s statutory intervention powers, in the majority of other cases, the department will initially seek to work with colleges to resolve issues without placing the college into intervention,” the guidance said.

Persistent or “significant challenges” at a college will continue to trigger “intensive support”, decided by RITs and led by the FEC team, which can include formal intervention or a structure and prospects appraisal (SPA).

FE Week has also asked the DfE to clarify whether targeted support will replace the FE Commissioner’s ‘active support’ service for colleges, which includes informal conversations, “health checks”, leadership monitoring, curriculum efficiency and consultations on restructuring.

Strengthening post-16 delivery

The guidance said RITs will work with strategic and local authorities to set priorities for post-16 provider improvement based on their performance and skills improvement plans. 

Priorities could include NEET, special needs student outcomes, local growth priorities, uptake and delivery of new qualifications such as T Levels or V Levels, and improving progression to higher levels of training.

They will also look at roles of both colleges and independent training providers at tackling skills shortages.

The guidance said: “Having clear priorities for regional improvement will enable us to consider how ITPs contribute to regional needs – where, for example, some ITPs have played a leading role in supporting young people at risk of being disengaged.”

Ministers also want to “promote collaboration and foster continuous improvement” through universal support that already exists, including national guidance, benchmarking data, FE Commissioner effective practice guides and webinars.

Alan Milburn to lead ‘uncompromising’ review into rising NEETs

Former social mobility commissioner Alan Milburn will lead an independent investigation into rising numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), the government has announced.

The review, which will place a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disabilities, is hoped to tackle what work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden has warned is a “crisis of opportunity”.

Figures show that nearly one million young people, approximately one in eight young people aged 16 to 24, are currently NEET. 

The government is trying to cut its “ballooning” benefits bill and announced earlier this year that it plans to slash health and disability benefits for young people in a bid to push them into employment or training.

Officials said today that over a quarter of NEET young people now cite long-term sickness or disability as a barrier to participation, compared to just 12 per cent in 2013-14. 

The number of young people claiming Universal Credit (UC) health and employment support allowance has also increased by more than 50 per cent in the last five years.

And around 80 per cent of young people on the UC health element currently cite mental health reasons or a neurodevelopmental condition among declared health conditions. 

The NEET review announcement comes days after new analysis from Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working review also revealed a 76 per cent increase in economically inactive 16–34-year-olds with mental health conditions since 2019.

Additionally, the review found that being out of work at a young age can cost over £1 million in lost earnings over a lifetime. 

McFadden said: “The rising number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) is a crisis of opportunity that demands more action to give them the chance to learn or earn. 

“We cannot afford to lose a generation of young people to a life on benefits, with no work prospects and not enough hope.”

‘Uncompromising in exposing failures’

Last month’s post-16 education and skills white paper contained a range of new measures designed to combat rising young NEET numbers, including auto-enrolling school-leavers on post-16 courses and tracking attendance of 16 to 19-year-olds.

Milburn was health secretary from 1999 to 2003 and is a former chair of the social mobility commission. He was appointed last year as a non-executive director of the Department of Health and Social Care.

His review will make “practical recommendations to help young people with health conditions access work, training or education — ensuring they are supported to thrive, not sidelined,” the government said.

The report will not cover the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. 

It will “complement” the Timms Review, which was launched in October to examine broader reforms to the disability benefits system, by “focusing specifically on the link between youth mental health, economic inactivity and benefit system”. 

Milburn said: “We cannot stand by and let a generation of young people be consigned to a life without employment or prospects. It’s clear urgent action is needed. 

“That’s why with the help of a panel of expert advisors; I will aim to get to the bottom of why current efforts are not preventing young people from becoming trapped out of work and education. 

“The review will be uncompromising in exposing failures in employment support, education, skills, health and welfare and will produce far-reaching recommendations for change to enhance opportunities for young people to learn and earn.”

Interim findings will be shared with the government in Spring 2026, with the final report published in summer 2026.