Teachers at 32 colleges are set to hit the picket lines during the January exam period in strikes over pay and workloads.
Following the results of an England-wide ballot last week, the University and College Union (UCU)’s further education committee has decided to enact its mandate for industrial action early next year.
Staff will walk out on January 14, 15 and 16, during which several exams for vocational and technical qualifications will be set.
UCU members in 33 of the 68 colleges passed the required 50 per cent turnout threshold and backed strike action. This list now includes Myerscough College, whose strike ballot closed earlier this week, and strikes at York College have now been called off.
The move is likely to disrupt nearly two dozen Pearson BTEC exams as well as several WJEC level 1/2 technical awards that will be sat during the three strike days. AQA’s final applied general exams will take place on strike day 1.
UCU opened a nationwide ballot in October after the “disappointing” 4 per cent pay rise recommendation from the Association of Colleges earlier this year.
Out of the 68 balloted colleges, 90 per cent of their voting members supported strike action, said UCU.
Twenty-one colleges did not meet the legal 50 per cent turnout threshold, and a further 17 already settled their disputes with college employers after agreeing new pay deals worth up to 8.7 per cent and will not take part in the upcoming strikes.
The union’s ‘new deal for FE’ campaign demands pay parity with school teachers, a national workload agreement and binding national bargaining.
College teachers earn, on average, £9,000 less than their counterparts in schools, according to UCU.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “College bosses are now on notice, if they refuse to come back to the negotiating table and make staff fair offers that help close the pay gap between school and college teachers then, come January, there will be huge disruption on campuses across England.”
She added: “Our demands are reasonable, and the 33 colleges facing action need to look at the 17 that worked to settle our disputes if they want to avoid action.
“It is also now high time employers worked with us to secure meaningful sectoral bargaining so we can end this disruptive year-on-year cycle of strike ballots and action.”
David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said he was “disappointed” after the ballot results were released last week.
“I hope it doesn’t come to fruition as it’s the students who will suffer,” he said at the time.
“AoC and college leaders have shown over many years now how committed they are to improving pay and conditions, as far as their funding will allow. We know, as do the unions, that any campaigning and action really needs to be directed nationally to secure commitments and investment from government to address the pay gap with schools and industry.”
Interesting fact: Kate loves her garden and can usually be found pottering outdoors at home or on frequent holidays in France
Anna Trethewey
Chief Strategy and Vocational Officer, AQA
Start date: February 2026
Previous Job: Chief Corporate Affairs and Strategy Officer, AQA
Interesting fact: In her early teaching days, Anna also played the bass and sang in a band called The Starry Smooth Hounds
Dale Bassett
Chief Qualifications Officer, AQA
Start date: February 2026
Previous job: Director of Curriculum and Assessment, United Learning
Interesting fact: Dale used to own a cabaret bar and hosted performers including Tony Award-winning Broadway stars, Corrie’s Jodie Prenger and the cast of The Lion King
Sixteen teachers, leaders, schools, and colleges have been honoured for excellence in education at the 2025 Pearson National Teaching Awards.
Outgoing FE Commissioner Shelagh Legrave scooped the awards’ highest honour, receiving the Lord David Puttnam Award for Lifetime Contribution to Education.
Dubbed “the Oscars of the teaching profession,” eight ‘gold awards’ were announced for the first time on Saturday at a glitzy ceremony in London, with the rest revealed during the week on the BBC’s The One Show and in The Sunday Times.
Categories awarded individuals and institutions from early years, primary, secondary and further education that go above and beyond for their learners, having a lasting impact on their lives, on the profession and in their local communities.
Judges selected the winners from thousands of nominations, revealing 93 shortlisted ‘silver award’ winners in June.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Teachers and school staff are the heart of our education system, inspiring young people and helping them to achieve and thrive. These awards are a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact great educators have, because the path to national renewal runs through our schools.
“My warmest congratulations to all of this year’s winners and nominees – your hard work, care, and commitment shape futures, and I’m proud to work with you to break down barriers to opportunity.”
Sharon Hague, managing director of school assessment and qualifications at Pearson UK, added: “Behind every confident student or changed life, there’s an educator who made it possible.
“The Pearson National Teaching Awards shines a spotlight on the inspiring individuals whose influence has gone far beyond the classroom. This is a celebration of excellence at the highest level, and we are thrilled to be able to recognise these achievements. Congratulations to all of this year’s Gold winners!”
Legrave’s lifetime achievement
Shelagh Legrave, the outgoing Further Education Commissioner, was awarded The Lord David Puttnam Award for Lifetime Contribution to Education.
Awarded by the Teaching Awards Trust trustees, recipients are required to have worked directly or indirectly in education for 30 years, and to have had an impact across a whole region or nation while earning the “broad respect” of the teaching profession.
Former winners include trade unionist Fred Jarvis and former education secretary Estelle Morris.
The special award was presented at the end of this evening’s ceremony by the chair of the Teaching Awards Trust, Professor Tony Salt.
Legrave became the Department for Education’s Further Education Commissioner in 2021.
Before becoming FE Commissioner, Legrave was chief executive of Chichester College Group.
Accepting the accolade this evening, Legrave said: “I really don’t believe I deserve it, but everybody in this room changes lives through learning.
“This is for further education. It has been an absolute privilege to work in colleges, and a university, and subsequently the Department for Education. We really do make a difference.”
Winner: Lisa Charles, North East Surrey College of Technology
What the judges said: Lisa Charles is not just a lecturer – she is a life-changer.
A hairdressing lecturer at Nescot, Lisa uses her own educational challenges to bring empathy and lived experience to her teaching. For over 13 years, she has inspired learners from all backgrounds, from helping a young woman from a traveller community with no prior education achieve top academic and vocational results, to supporting a brain injury survivor re-learn basic skills and regain independence through her studies after being rejected from other colleges.
Alongside her teaching, Lisa ensures that she and her students are giving back to the community. She has built partnerships with organisations like the Royal Marsden, Toni & Guy, L’Oréal, and the Salvation Army, giving students real-world experience while instilling a sense of purpose. From organising pop-up salons for young cancer patients to driving sustainability through the Green Salon Collective, Lisa leads by example and changes lives along the way.
Outstanding New Teacher of The Year
Shona McFayden, Bedford College, Bedfordshire
Diagnosed with liver failure and cancer at a young age, Shona lived for years shadowed by uncertainty, balancing her studies with the knowledge that she needed a life-saving transplant. Her determination for a teaching career was a motivator and incentive to chase a full recovery, and this personal journey gives her teaching a unique depth and authenticity.
Shona champions innovative approaches, from using interactive VR in science investigations to adapting lessons so they support students facing difficult personal circumstances. Beyond the classroom, she founded the Impact Makers programme, a student-led charity that has raised hundreds of pounds for local care homes and hospices.
Shona teaches students first-hand the value of perseverance, goal-setting and gratitude for opportunity.
FE Team of the Year
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College – Filton Campus, Bristol
This Bristol College ESOL provision offers a lifeline to migrants settling in the UK, helping them learn a new language, find their voice, and connect with their new community and country.
Accepting the award this evening, Sarah Kopera, head of SGS life, said from the stage: “Broken English is not broken potential.”
The programme is about equipping learners with the language and social skills they need to live confidently and independently. From role-play scenarios like GP appointments, job interviews, and school-gate conversations with other parents, to navigating housing and healthcare systems, the ESOL curriculum is built around real-life situations that empower learners to engage fully in society. The team also supports with housing issues, signposting services, and developing trauma-informed approaches for those carrying the weight of past experiences, including war and displacement.
Success stories include a Ukrainian nurse now working as a phlebotomist in the NHS; a former learner running her own donut business; a parent finally able to speak English with her child after school; and countless others who’ve gone on to further qualifications, employment, and full participation in British life.
The tutors themselves reflect the communities they serve. Many have refugee or migrant connections, which helps foster trust and understanding with their learners.
Over the past eight years, this programme has grown from just four classes a week to over 28, reflecting the increasing demand from learners determined to thrive in their new home.
Transformational Use of Digital Technology
The Oaks Specialist College, Kent
At The Oaks Specialist College, the Accessibility Team has reimagined how everyday technologies, from smartphones to AI tools, can unlock opportunities where young people with learning difficulties often struggle to progress.
By embedding built-in accessibility features into daily learning, students can now participate where once they were passive. Louis now uses text-to-speech to enjoy books and prepare for work; Ethan was given the confidence and tools to travel independently to Leeds; and another student, James accesses his favourite comics through new digital tools.
The Oaks is now recognised as a Microsoft Showcase College, and its Accessibility Team is shaping practice across the country. The team deliver workshops to other education provisions and to larger commercial businesses. Companies such as Balfour Beatty, Tesco and Mitie have benefited from ‘lightbulb moment’ sessions to make their workplaces more inclusive and supportive of those using everyday technology for accessibility.
Seventy-two per cent of learners from Oaks progress into paid employment, compared to a national average of just 4.8 per cent for those with learning disabilities in the general population.
SEND and Inclusive Practice
Winner: Abbot’s Lea School, North West
What the judges said: No pupil is turned away from Abbot’s Lea. Its zero-exclusion policy and pioneering ASD model – combining academic progress, specialist therapeutic support, and life skills development – ensures students with Autism and complex needs are supported to thrive.
Their inclusive approach includes an in-house ADHD clinic, helping to reduce missed NHS appointments and school absences by making sure students get the health services support they need without missing class. To keep families closely involved, the school holds weekly open-house assemblies and coffee mornings.
The school’s approach has challenged students to become the best versions of themselves. Graduates leave Abbot’s Lea confident, resilient, and work-ready, with many moving into employment, some even joining the school’s own staff team.
School or College Partnership of the Year
Shetland School/College Partnership Programme for S5/6 students. UHI Shetland, Scotland
In Shetland – a remote group of islands north of mainland Scotland – education is truly unique, with a focus on real-life practice and community. With a population of around 22,900 and key industries like fishing, farming, health and social care, energy, and construction, the local economy relies on skilled, adaptable people.
The Shetland School/College Partnership Programme is helping young people step into those roles with real-world experience. This isn’t just about filling skills gaps, it’s about making education more relevant and inclusive, giving young people a stronger connection to the place they live.
Designed for S5 and S6 students (aged 16–18), the programme connects school learning with hands-on training in local industries. Whether it’s maritime courses, NHS placements, or working alongside local trades, students are gaining skills that offer practical routes into work or study, in a rural island setting where opportunities can feel limited.
Unsung Hero
Lee Smith, Hethersett Academy, Norfolk
Lee Smith is a school site manager, whose compassion and consideration for others helped him literally save a life. When a vulnerable colleague didn’t show up to work one day, Lee followed his instincts and did a welfare check. After breaking down a front door, he found his colleague slipping into a diabetic coma. His quick thinking made all the difference, but the incident resulted in his colleague having to undergo an amputation.
Lee went on to help renovate the colleague’s home and garden to make it more accessible. He also bought a golf buggy and reshuffled responsibilities so his colleague could still stay involved in the school and return to work.
However for Lee, empathy isn’t a one-off act, but a way of life. Whether it’s building bird tables for terminally ill colleagues or finding the perfect spot to plant a memorial tree for the school’s pregnancy loss group, Lee has consistently demonstrated genuine selflessness, making him truly an unsung hero at Hethersett Academy.
Early Years Team of the Year
Best Family Childcare Nursery Early Years Team, West Yorkshire
Togetherness is central to Best Childcare Nursery. The early years team has devoted itself to creating a community where children and families feel a true sense of belonging. Open 51 weeks of the year, their ethos of “Rewilding Childhood,” inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, celebrates children’s voices and nurtures wellbeing in a safe environment.
Traditions such as “Fika” create moments of sharing food and conversation, helping to foster connection across children, families and staff. Their Family Tree groups help siblings stay together, easing transitions and strengthening bonds.
With everything they do, the Best Childcare Nursery Early Years Team ensures that every child is supported not only to learn, but to grow into a confident, compassionate member of society.
Headteacher of the Year in Primary School
James Parkinson, De Lacy Primary School, West Yorkshire
When James Parkinson became headteacher of De Lacy Primary School, it was among the lowest-performing schools in the country.
Today under his leadership, De Lacy offers a varied curriculum incorporating unique initiatives to ‘future proof’ pupils and better equip them to cope with life in modern Britain. This incudes Future Fridays, where professionals inspire pupils with their career journeys, and “50 learning experiences” which range from first aid, enterprise, and ecological projects, helping young students tick off valuable life experiences at an earlier age.
Known as a “deeply human” leader, James builds trust through genuine connections with children and families. Before James joined the school, it was once described to him as “a school you wouldn’t want to work in”. Now, that couldn’t be any further from the case. Today, De Lacy is judged Outstanding in every category by Ofsted, with outcomes placing it in the top 13 per cent nationally.
Making a Difference – Primary School of the Year
Sprites Primary Academy, Suffolk
Sprites Primary is living proof that with belief and compassion, every school and child can thrive. Once placed in special measures following two successive ‘inadequate’ Ofsted judgments, Sprites now stands as a beacon of excellence.
Sprites’ vision is to provide the full curriculum so that every child can engage their interests, and the experiences offered by the school go way beyond the classroom. Children sing at the O2, camp under the stars, and walk the grounds of Cambridge University, often experiencing life beyond their neighbourhoods for the first time. The school has transformed old rooms into a Kids’ Kitchen, Live Lounge, and Art Studio to deliver a full, inspiring curriculum.
The school’s SEND provision, once heavily criticised, is a model of best practice, attracting families from across the region. Pupils with complex needs are not just supported but championed, such as Oscar, a pupil with ASD who with the right support became head boy and gained the opportunity to represent the trust at the House of Lords.
Secondary School of the Year
Moor End Academy, West Yorkshire
Moor End Academy is the definition of inclusivity, turning what could be a challenge of a highly diverse student body into a source of strength. With nearly 90 per cent of students from minority ethnic groups, many of whom do not have English as their first language, the school brings together young people from over 35 different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
While this diversity could present barriers, Moor End has adapted by embedding language support across the curriculum, offering translators, tailored learning resources, and opportunities for students to share their own cultures, ensuring every child can participate fully and feel valued.
Student voice and leadership are at the heart of the school’s culture. From the student council, praised by Ofsted for genuinely making a difference to school life, to culture days where pupils showcase their heritage through food, music and traditions, students are empowered to take ownership of their community and learn from one another’s experiences.
The academy’s outreach extends beyond the school gates. Parents are welcomed in for family baking sessions, safeguarding workshops, and other opportunities to connect.
Teacher of the Year in a Primary School
Gosia Watts, Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill, West Yorkshire
Originally from Poland, Gosia began her life in the UK working in factories and offices before realising her dream of becoming a teacher. Now assistant principal at Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill, she draws on her passions for sustainability and the arts to shape a vibrant, inclusive education.
Gosia has created green spaces across the school, embedding sustainability into daily life. From the forest school to the sensory garden, her projects have provided calming, therapeutic environments that particularly support children with SEN.
Gosia champions the arts, directing Shakespeare productions and guiding whole-school creative projects – including one that saw her class’ artwork accepted into the National Gallery.
Gosia also works closely with the local community centre, leading events and celebrations, and has inspired families to join in initiatives such as the school pantry, where children and parents donate essential items to support others.
Teaching Assistant of The Year
Shagufta Mirza, Carlton Junior and Infant School, West Yorkshire
For more than 25 years, Shagufta Mirza has played a key part at Carlton Junior and Infant School, deeply invested in family and community wellbeing.
She leads the breakfast club, giving children a nourishing and positive start to the day. As a nurture lead and attendance officer, she works closely with families to remove barriers to education, always approaching issues with empathy and understanding. Beyond this, she organises parent workshops on wellbeing and resilience, helping families support both themselves and their children.
Shagufta is equally committed to broadening students’ horizons. From cultural visits to Amsterdam, to inspiring trips to Oxford University, to excursions to the Houses of Parliament, Shagufta has provided students with experiences that expand their understanding of the wider world.
Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School
Jolie Bartley, Varndean School, Brighton
Jolie Bartley has transformed drama into one of the most popular and successful subjects in Varndean School. She sees drama not just as a subject, but as a way to achieve greater inclusion, confidence and personal growth.
Her productions encourage anyone who wants to be involved to participate, while supporting performers with additional needs. This year’s cast included students who were partially sighted, autistic, and even one usually electively mute. Jolie is known for her unwavering care, whether stepping out of rehearsals to administer vital medication or patiently supporting a troubled Year 7 until he found his place within the group.
From Les Misérables to Little Shop of Horrors, each show involves more than 250 students across acting, music, choreography, stage management, lighting, sound, and make-up and costume. For Jolie, the true triumph lies not in the show itself but in the way it makes every student feels valued, regardless of their role.
Lifetime Achievement
Lynn Griffiths, Ysgol Gymraeg Caerffili, Wales
Lynn Griffiths is an inspirational educational leader who has dedicated his entire career to Ysgol Gyfun Caerffili. He has championed bilingualism through innovative language immersion techniques, ensuring hundreds of pupils leave as confident Welsh speakers.
Equally passionate about staff development, Lynn has created a culture of professional learning where teachers are supported and encouraged to progress in their careers.
Lynn’s work has been recognised regionally and nationally, with Estyn, EAS, and Welsh Government drawing on his expertise in leadership, language development, and professional learning. His influence extends far beyond the classroom, making him a transformative force in Welsh education.
Headteacher of the Year in a Secondary School
Lucy Harrison, Archer Academy, London
Lucy Harrison has transformed the Archer Academy into a thriving, inclusive community not just for students, but for staff too. During ten years of leadership, she has pioneered flexible working, staff wellbeing initiatives, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
As part of this, Lucy reshaped the school day significantly to improve engagement and behaviour. Through her consultation with staff, students and parents, a newly introduced timetable promotes consistency, reduces stress points, and maximises learning time. She complements these changes with a strong focus on student voice, creating leadership roles, societies and feedback forums that give young people a real say in their school experience.
By embedding careers education and extracurricular opportunities, Lucy ensures every young person leaves Archer with both outstanding qualifications and the skills to succeed in life.
Under Lucy’s guidance, Archer Academy continues to rank among the top schools nationally and is recognised as a model of best practice in wellbeing, inclusion and flexible working. Staff retention and morale are now among the highest in the borough, with surveys showing 96 per cent of colleagues are proud to work at Archer.
Emergency cash to cope with a teenage population spike will create around 9,000 extra college places across Leeds and Greater Manchester, it is forecast.
Both regions received £10 million each in post-16 capacity funding from the Department for Education, with Greater Manchester using the money to pay for a series of small expansions while Leeds City Council funded two new city centre buildings.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), which added an extra £10 million of its own cash to address the 16-19 population bulge, estimates it can boost capacity by 5,315 extra places by September.
Its approach has been to lease and convert office buildings, remodel workshops for construction skills, fund refurbishments and recruit extra teachers.
The two main college groups in Leeds – Luminate and Leeds College of Building – have both bought buildings to create an extra 3,770 places.
The DfE’s capacity funding was announced in April. It is estimated that the number of teenagers aged from 16 to 18 surged by 230,000, or 13 per cent, between 2017 and 2024, and will rise by another 110,000 (5 per cent) to a peak in 2028.
FE Week understands enrolments across Greater Manchester increased from 28,670 in 2019-20 to 35,620 in 2023-24.
Speaking at the Association of Colleges conference last week, DfE director of labour market skills and funding Sinead O’Sullivan said “very little funding” was available for college capacity in 2025-26, so most of it was given to Leeds and Greater Manchester as they had “the most level of need”.
However, she noted “plenty of others” needed extra capital funding.
A further £375 million has been allocated for post-16 capacity until 2029-30, following the last capacity funding round that saw £230 million shared between 89 colleges and sixth forms.
The Manchester way
All nine FE colleges in Greater Manchester have been allocated a share of the region’s money, some of which was drawn from unspent “local growth funding” available to combined authorities.
Manchester College, which got the biggest share at £5.6 million, aims to create 345 new places by September by creating a new engineering workshop, remodelled construction spaces and science labs.
Wigan and Leigh College is expanding four of its sites to create 841 spaces by leasing two office buildings, upgrading its skills academy and enhancing its engineering and construction centre.
Tameside College expects to deliver an extra 1,116 places by refurbishing its existing building to add 11 new teaching spaces.
It will also recruit more teachers and support staff, and invest in IT hardware.
While the DfE funding pot is strictly for capital projects to create additional capacity, the extra £10 million GMCA provided was split, with £5 million used as a “top up” to the DfE’s capital funding and £5 million for “flexible” revenue and capital.
Revenue spending includes £395,000 set aside for college workforce development with qualifications for staff, informal CPD, engagement with employers and “market factor uplift supplements” for industry specialists from high-demand industries.
A recent report approving the overall spending package says funding is being prioritised to create places in priority “gateway sectors” such as construction and the green economy, and takes into account factors such as recent learner numbers, employer need and “reported over-subscription” for courses.
Initially, the region’s nine college groups asked for £19.2 million, but the total was brought down to £10 million after negotiations and a “proportionate reduction” to all bids.
Leeds goes big
Across the Pennines, Leeds City Council reports that Luminate is in the process of buying a 127-year lease of Livingstone House, a city centre six-storey office building by the River Aire, with its £8 million share.
The college group hopes it will become the base for Leeds City College’s school of health and social care, creating up to 1,500 extra educational places “across all vocational areas”.
However, until further funding is raised the five upper floors will be mothballed, chief executive Colin Booth told FE Week.
He said although the extra investment into post-16 capacity was “extremely welcome, we cannot afford to be complacent”.
He added: “Leeds City College has operated at maximum capacity for the last few years, with waiting lists for courses in areas like health and engineering.”
“Without sustained and targeted investment from government, increasing numbers of young people will be left without a suitable place to learn, in Leeds and across the country.”
Meanwhile, using its £2 million share, Leeds College of Building has bought a former Vodafone site next to its city centre campus.
The 5,000 square-metre building has a warehouse-like space on the ground floor and office space upstairs.
College CEO Nikki Davis told FE Week the building was “perfect”, would house about 2,000 learners as a “conservative” estimate, and aligned with plans to become a construction technical excellence college.
However, further funding will be needed to convert the building, meaning it is unlikely to be ready by September.
In a recent scrutiny report, Leeds City Council said it had already created an extra 975 places by the 2024-25 academic year by working with colleges and ITPs.
It estimates its numbers of 16 and 17-year-olds rose by more than 3,000 between 2021 and 2025.
The council added that its officials were working with colleges to make a “system-wide bid” to the DfE next year.
Rachel Reeves’ tweaks to the apprenticeship levy funding system will “squeeze” large employers and risks “dampening appetite” for skills investment, business groups and experts have warned.
The chancellor’s budget announced £725 million over the rest of this Parliament to be injected into the apprenticeship system, which will be reformed into a “growth and skills levy” from April.
Some of the additional cash will fully fund apprenticeships for under-25s in small and medium-sized businesses, but most of the rest will ease pressure on England’s strained apprenticeship budget which was overspent for the first time last year.
Reeves’ budget red book also revealed the government will remove a 10 per cent uplift for levy payers, halve the time levy payers have to use their levy funds from 24 to 12 months, and slash the co-investment rate offered to big businesses when they exhaust their funds to 75 per cent.
Robert West, head of education and skills at the Confederation of British Industry, said there was “some concern” as the trio of changes for levy payers will “all put increased pressure on levy resources”.
“Overall, this could mean lower government topping-up and faster recycling of unused funds back to the Treasury – all of which would reduce the overall pool available for training,” he told FE Week.
Tom Richmond, an education policy analyst and former adviser to education ministers, said: “While pushing more money towards apprenticeships for young people will rightly steal the spotlight, some of the other changes look like a subtle way to put the squeeze on larger employers by reducing any cash piles sitting in their levy accounts.”
He described the 10 per cent uplift for levy payers as a “weird feature” of the funding system that is “not worth mourning”. But “quietly reducing the co-investment rate to 75 per cent after a levy payer’s account has run dry looks like an attempt to stop larger employers hoovering up too much funding, while reducing the expiry window will heap more pressure on levy payers to get spending their contributions as quickly as possible – presumably in an attempt to prop up apprenticeship starts”.
Treasury told FE Week that work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden would engage with businesses from December, and officials will set out further details “in due course”.
Dampening appetite risk
Since the apprenticeship levy was introduced in 2017, only large employers with a payroll in excess of £3 million have paid into the levy at a rate of 0.5 per cent of salary costs.
The 10 per cent top-up has been a feature since the levy launched. It meant that if an employer paid £1 million into the levy they would have £1.1 million to spend on apprenticeship training.
Currently, employers’ levy funds are removed from their digital accounts if they’re not spent within 24 months. This “use it or lose it” feature was designed to encourage levy-paying employers to invest in high-quality training and assessment and to prevent them from accruing overly large balances.
The co-investment rate for levy payers if they spend all of their funds is understood to be 95 per cent currently.
Dale Walker, director of education at apprenticeships provider Apprentify, said the restrictions announced by Reeves could “dampen” the appetite for apprenticeships.
He told FE Week: “A 12-month spending window is extremely tight when deploying levy funds with many large employers already taking more than a year to implement apprenticeship programmes.
“Separately, increasing the employer contribution to 25 per cent [for the co-investment rate] and removing the 10 per cent top-up risks dampening appetite among levy-paying organisations already dealing with rising hiring, pension and tax costs.
“My sense is that these changes may simply lead to more levy gifting and more unspent levy overall, rather than increasing meaningful investment in apprenticeships.”
Hannah Larsen, policy officer at the British Chamber of Commerce, was particularly “disappointed that government is increasing costs for the trailblazing employers who exhaust their levy funds”.
Growth and skills levy reform
England’s apprenticeships budget was fully spent in recent years and the government plans to ease pressure by removing level 7 apprenticeships for people aged 22 and older from January.
There will however be a short-term strain caused by a spike in level 7 starts, which are the most expensive to deliver, as employers rush to use the training route while they still can.
The reformed growth and skills levy will also fund non-apprenticeship training from April.
New apprenticeship “units” will be on offer, which could be courses as short as one week and are likely to be qualifications that exist within apprenticeship standards.
The levy is generating more cash contributions than expected and is now estimated to raise £4.4 billion this year.
England’s apprenticeship budget for 2025-26 is set at £3.075 billion, while the devolved nations receive just over £500 million. It means the top slice the Treasury takes between how much the levy generates and how much is dished out for apprenticeship spending hits around £820 million.
Forecasts for 2026-27 show the levy intake will rise to £4.6 billion. If the Treasury fails to increase apprenticeship spending budgets the Treasury margin will hit £1 billion.
The Office for Budget Responsibility expects the levy to raise £5 billion for the first time by 2029-30.
Stephen Evans, chief executive of the Learning and Work Institute, said: “Extra funding for apprenticeships is welcome, though largely reflects an expected rise in the amount the levy raises meaning the Treasury will still be keeping a substantial sum.
“At the same time, measures such as shortening the expiry time for levy funding are likely to reduce the amount of their levy that large firms spend, helping to tackle any pressures on the overall budget and pay for ending training costs for young apprentices in SMEs.”
Ben Rowland, CEO of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said the changes in this week’s budget “will feel like a squeeze for levy payers”.
“Removing the 10 per cent top-up, shortening levy expiry to 12 months and tightening co-investment will inevitably drive different behaviours, and employers will now be even keener to see what they get back through the apprenticeship unit offer from April,” he added.
“The move to fully fund under-25s for non-levy employers is positive and will strip out needless admin, but it also raises questions about how adults over 25 may be funded in future, particularly outside priority sectors.”
Ministers are still deciding whether V Levels will be developed under the same single-licence model as T Levels, a senior Department for Education official has revealed.
Speaking at the Federation of Awarding Bodies’ conference, DfE director of technical qualifications and essential skills Kiera Harper said her “personal view” was that licences for T Levels had been “incredibly challenging” to manage.
While the department is still “thinking about” what approach it will take with V Levels, it plans to have a single commercial strategy to cover both T Levels, V Levels and new level 2 qualifications “in the round”, Harper added.
Using a single awarding organisation per T Level was a recommendation by Lord Sainsbury in his review of technical education, which the DfE agreed to take forward. However, its own researchers warned that with no alternative to step in if problems arose with a contracted body, there was a “risk of system failure”.
V Levels, which will sit alongside A Levels and T Levels, were announced last month in response to the curriculum and assessment review’s findings, as a “vocational alternative” to the academic and technical route.
They will be aimed at students who have not made a decision on what career pathway they want to pursue.
Harper, who oversees the DfE’s level 3 reforms, including T Levels, said: “I think it’s important to recognise that with T Levels, the single licensing model came from a good place.
“It came from a desire to ensure quality, maintain grip and rigour for what was at the time an incredible – and is still arguably an incredibly – novel change to the way that we delivered qualifications in that space.”
‘Tell us how big’
The government wants students to be able to “mix and match” V Levels and A Levels, but is “absolutely open” to sector views on whether the new vocational qualifications should be “small” qualifications of 360 guided learning hours, or “medium-sized” at 725 hours, Harper added.
She told the conference that officials want parents and students at future open days to have a clear “narrative” about the purpose of the courses they are choosing.
She added: “If you can do that, and you can come up with a valid argument, we want to hear it.”
The government is currently consulting on its “post-16 level 3 and below” plans, which include V Levels, the expansion of T Levels, and widespread reforms to level 2 courses that will replace the T Level foundation year.
Rollout is planned across four years, with the first classes beginning in 2027.
Level 2 reform plans
Two level 2 pathways are being developed: one-year, 240 guided learning hours “foundation certificates” for students seeking to progress to a level 3 course, and two-year “occupational certificates” which aim to help students develop their technical knowledge in a classroom-based setting before moving into skilled employment.
The DfE wants to roll out V Levels and the new level 2 certificates together by “route”.
Ahead of the consultation closing on January 12, officials are working with awarding organisations and other stakeholders on “outline content” for each subject.
Officials aim to run a further consultation on each route’s exact content between April and June.
Incoming assessment reforms will not “dilute” or “dumb down” apprenticeships, a Skills England boss has claimed following a backlash from employers.
Gemma Marsh, Skills England’s deputy CEO, acknowledged widespread concern from businesses, especially in safety-critical industries, that plans to streamline the assessment of apprentices will lead to some learners qualifying without proving they are competent.
But she insisted at the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) conference that Skills England, a government agency belonging to the Department for Work and Pensions, is “not rushing”, is “listening”, and is determined to take a “pragmatic approach”.
“I’ve really been trying to get under the skin of assessment reform,” said Marsh, who joined Skills England six months ago after 23 years working in Greater Manchester.
“Nowhere in these reforms is it about diluting. It’s not about reducing competency. It’s not about dumbing down – you have my word on that.”
She added that the government is “not throwing the baby out with the bath water” but pressed the need to “simplify” the current system.
Her comments follow an FE Week investigation into discontent from the first five pilots of reformed assessment plans, and alarm that Skills England is “bulldozing” through changes without properly consulting and listening to employers and sector experts.
Skills England’s plans include having mandatory and independent assessment for only around 40 per cent of an apprenticeship’s knowledge and skills statements, with the remaining 60 per cent being “sampled”.
Officials also want to make mandatory qualifications, that sit within over 100 apprenticeships, the sole method of assessment for those standards and also remove independent assessment of behaviours entirely, leaving employers to “verify” them internally.
‘Not on my watch’, say chief regulator
Skills England plans to publish the names of the first batch of apprenticeships that will officially go through the assessment plan reform process before Christmas. They will be linked to industrial strategy sectors.
The plan is to then plough through the 700-strong suite of apprenticeships in England during 2026, with a target end date of August 1 for getting all apprenticeships started on the process.
Delegates at today’s FAB conference hit back at this timescale, telling Skills England officials it was “impossible” and “unmanageable”.
Sir Ian Bauckham, Ofqual’s chief regulator, also spoke at the conference and acknowledged the concern raised by employers and experts and recognised the “demanding” timescale.
He claimed apprenticeship quality would not be compromised on his watch.
“Of course, I recognise there are mixed feelings about this [apprenticeship assessment reform], and in particular, concerns that some of the changes may lead to a dilution of quality,” Sir Ian said.
“I want to reassure anyone who might be concerned about this, that Ofqual intends to regulate to ensure apprenticeship assessment remains a valid and reliable signifier of occupational competence, and there will be no compromise on quality on my watch.”
‘Competency is key’
Marsh stressed that the pilots were a “test phase”, and added: “Every sector is different, and that’s absolutely what we’ve learned.”
She said the reforms would not be applied uniformly across all standards, emphasising that “not everything is a one-size-fits-all” and that Skills England must take a “practical approach”.
Marsh also insisted the reforms were not being pushed through quickly despite political pressure to streamline apprenticeship assessment and increase completion rates.
“Please take one thing away from today: we’re not rushing. We are listening,” she said. “We want to build this with you, and we want to take all of your advice on board.”
She also made a plea for the sector to “reset” the tone of the ongoing debate, arguing that anxiety around lower standards had “got lost in the language”.
“This is not about dumbing down competency. This is not about diluting assessment,” she said. “Quality is key, and that will remain. Competency is key, and that will remain.”
FAB CEO Rob Nitsch said: “The desire that we now have a reset that leads to us working more closely together was clearly expressed; it will be important that this is carried through – we will be very committed to ensuring that it is.”
Employer-led or pro-employer?
The government’s language recently shifted from the skills system being “employer-led” to taking a “pro-employer approach”.
Asked directly about confusion over whether the apprenticeship reforms remain “employer-led”, Marsh argued the labels do not matter.
“Language is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Because I’m not very civil servant a lot of the time, my language is completely different,” she said.
“Employers are absolutely critical. We need to listen to employers, we need to make sure we are meeting their needs – but they also have to meet us halfway. They are part of that journey and are accountable for ensuring that we have good jobs, better jobs and the skills we need.”
Marsh added that Skills England was exploring new “expert pools” which involve wider engagement beyond trailblazer groups to ensure more voices feed into standards development and assessment design.
For a small business owner, taking on an apprentice can feel like a leap of faith. You’re employing new talent to join you or your team, not just filling a role but investing time and money into them. An incredibly rewarding move, yes, but one that comes with its own challenges – not least the costs associated with taking on a new team member, training and paying them.
At this week’s budget, the Chancellor announced that apprenticeships will be fully funded for non-levy paying employers hiring apprentices under 25 years old – expanding it from the previous funding for under 22-year-olds. She thanked the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) for our representation on this issue. While it’s hard to escape the idea that the Treasury is not good at the detail of apprenticeship policy, this is at least some attempt to help SMEs (small and medium sized businesses).
The Chancellor also announced she was providing £820 million over the next three years for the youth guarantee, which will help small businesses do what they do best – provide jobs in our local communities and help those who need it most get into work. Taken together, these announcements should open up more opportunities and help give the next generation the tools to build something of their own.
While this, and recent announcements introducing new foundation apprenticeships earlier this year, are positive steps, the fact remains that more needs to be done to help small employers hire apprentices. The appetite from small firms is there, but too many are currently being held back by rising labour costs. Our latest Small Business Index showed this was one of the top three barriers to growth, behind the domestic economy and the tax burden.
Measures like reintroducing a £3,000 incentive for small employers hiring an apprentice under 25, which was briefly introduced during the pandemic, would help to take away the risk associated with taking on an apprentice.
With almost half of small business employers telling us this incentive would encourage them to employ apprentices in the future, we think this would make a real difference to the number of apprenticeship starts, particularly at entry level. Sadly, starts numbers in small firms are falling and have been since the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced back in 2017. Young people are losing out on the chance to develop valuable skills and experience in small businesses, while those businesses miss out on a rich source of talent. We’d like to see the government setting targets to increase the number of apprenticeship starts in small steps year on year, to create some accountability and measure the success of any policies that are brought in.
In a practical sense, small firms say the system is confusing and fragmented, and involves a lot of admin. Time and resources are in short supply for small businesses, and most of them don’t have their own administrative or HR (human resources) team to deal with this side of taking on an apprentice. Our research found that a third of small business employers who currently have an apprentice on their books say reduced admin or paperwork would encourage them to take on more.
Providing financial incentives could help to offset this too, allowing employers a bit more freedom to get apprentices on board, make sure training is up to date and maintain contact with educational establishments and training providers.
We were hoping to see measures at this year’s budget that encourage small firms to invest and grow in their business. And while as a whole the Chancellor didn’t deliver on pro-growth, pro-business measures, this apprenticeship announcement was a positive move to open up opportunities to more young people and get more small firms into the apprenticeship system.
Multiverse is on the cusp of overtaking Lifetime Training as England’s largest apprenticeship training provider, new figures reveal.
Full-year apprenticeship data covering academic year 2024-25, published today, show the gap between England’s largest and second largest training providers has closed to just 1,070 starts, down from over 8,400 the year before.
The narrowing at the top of the table comes as Lifetime recorded a 20 per cent fall in apprenticeship starts, from 16,330 in 2023-24 to 13,100 in 2024-25. Meanwhile, Multiverse saw its start figure grow by 52 per cent, from 7,910 in 2023-24 to 12,030 in 2024-25.
Multiverse, which was founded in 2016 by Euan Blair, specialises in data and digital apprenticeships, mostly at higher education levels, and has degree awarding powers for its level 6 digital and technology solutions programme.
Lifetime offers a much broader portfolio of apprenticeships from levels 2 to 5 in sectors such as retail, hospitality and adult care.
Charlotte Bosworth, CEO of Lifetime Training Group, told FE Week the company had focused on sectors where it delivers “the greatest impact” but also that “economic headwinds” facing employers and the uncertain funding landscape contributed to its drop in starts.
“Lifetime has made the strategic decision to focus on sectors where we can deliver the greatest impact: care, early years, retail, and hospitality. These industries are critical to the UK economy and society, and our priority is ensuring that apprenticeships in these areas are high-quality, sustainable and aligned to employer needs,” she said.
“Apprenticeships are a vital driver of skills and productivity, and continued investment and flexibility in funding will be essential to ensure they remain accessible and impactful.”
Multiverse became the highest-earning apprenticeship training provider earlier this year due the high-value programmes it delivers. But it is yet to turn a profit, with Blair describing the company as “pre-profitability” earlier this week.
A Multiverse spokesperson said: “Employers want best-in-class AI training to realise productivity benefits, and ensure their people don’t get left behind. “Growth is critical, but so is learners getting promotions or avoiding redundancy, and businesses increasing productivity. That’s beginning to happen, but the sooner specific standards in AI and short courses come online, the better for the whole system.”
Level 7 rush intensifies
As with previous years, 2024-25 saw continuing growth in higher level apprenticeships and a decline in level 2 starts.
FE Week analysis shows 70 per cent of the overall growth in apprenticeships can be attributed to starts on level 7 courses. An FE Week investigation earlier this year revealed early figures showing a rush on level 7 starts before funding is removed in January for apprentices under 22.
Today’s figures, covering August 2024 to July 2025, update our initial analysis. They show level 7 starts are up by 41 per cent, nearly 10,000 additional starts, compared to the previous full year; from 23,860 to 33,560.
It means nearly one in 10 of all new apprentices in 2024-25 was a level 7.
Data covering May, June and July 2025 show level 7 starts were up 127 per cent, 128 per cent and 228 per cent respectively.
But that is still only part of the story. The rush to start level 7s is expected to reach its climax in the final months of 2025. We won’t see those figures until next year.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer announced funding for level 7 apprenticeships would be removed in his party conference speech in September last year. The January cut-off date was announced in May.
FE Week analysis shows there were 5,349 additional senior leader apprenticeship starts in 2024-25 compared to the year before, 1,486 extra starts on the accountancy or tax professional apprenticeship, 789 on the senior people professional apprenticeship and 652 extra apprentice solicitors. The funding bands for those apprenticeships range from £14,000 to £27,000 per apprentice.
Experts described the spike in starts as a “financial headache” for the government, which is trying to squeeze the limited apprenticeship levy budget to launch new industrial strategy short courses and pivot funding towards younger workers.
The apprenticeships budget for financial year 2026-27 has not yet been confirmed, but the pot was overspent for the first time in 2024-25.
Under-19s lowest since pandemic
Overall apprenticeships starts were up by 4.1 per cent, driven mostly by level 7 starts. A total of 353,470 apprentices started in 2024-25, up from 339,590.
Excluding level 7s, apprenticeship starts only increased by 1.3 per cent.
But under-19 apprenticeship starts were the lowest since the pandemic. There were 74,990 starts in 2024-25, down 5 per cent on the year before. This is the lowest level since 2020-21 (65,150) and means under-19s now make up 21 per cent of all apprentices, down from 25 per cent in 2018-19.
Numbers of 19 to 24-year-olds increased slightly, by 1.2 per cent, between 2024-25 and the year before, whereas starts by those aged 25 and above shot up by 10.2 per cent.
There were over 5,000 fewer level 2 apprenticeship starts in 2024-25 than in 2023-24, a 7.3 per cent frop fro 70,850 to 65,680. Level 4 starts increased by 11.8 per cent, level 5 by 11 per cent and level 6 by 2 per cent. Level 3 starts only increased by 0.4 per cent.
