Latest news from FE Week

Mary Ward steps closer to Newham College merger

An historic adult learning college in east London is expected to merge with nearby Newham College to rescue it from financial turmoil.

The 130-year-old Mary Ward Centre, also known as the Mary Ward Settlement, is in government intervention due to financial difficulties linked to a campus relocation, rising costs, depleted reserves and insufficient tuition fee income.

In recent months, Therese Reinheimer-Jones, the college’s CEO, or “warden”, quietly left the organisation. It is now being led by deputy CEO Sue Craggs.

The proposed merger with a larger general FE college follows the same pattern as other standalone adult education institutions that have struggled with funding over the last decade, including Northern College, Hillcroft College and Ruskin College.

Colleges focusing on adult education have been increasingly strained by the government’s focus on the 16 to 18 age group.

An FE Commissioner-led structural prospects appraisal (SPA) was launched after the Mary Ward Centre asked the Department for Education for a £500,000 emergency loan last year.

According to the college’s accounts for the 2024-25 academic year, signed off in March, the “most likely outcome” of the merger is a transfer of assets and activities to Newham College.

However, neither college has made an announcement, and the decision remained subject to “a process of due diligence” and formal approval by the Mary Ward Centre’s board, the accounts added.

Commenting on the decline of historic adult education colleges, director of policy and external relations at Holex Sue Pember said: “As these historic institutions increasingly merge into the wider FE system there is a real risk that something special will disappear.

“We understand the financial and operational pressures behind these decisions, but the impact will be felt far beyond the institutions themselves and solutions could have been found.”

Updates as ‘process progresses’

Both Mary Ward and Newham College declined to provide details of the merger plans but promised “further updates in due course as the process progresses”.

It would be the second merger for Newham College in two years, after it absorbed Newham Sixth Form College in late 2024 following its ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating.

The east London college group ended 2025 with an ‘outstanding’ financial health rating.

Newham College appears to be preferred over Capital City College, which also expressed interest in a merger, noting in recent board minutes that the Mary Ward Centre had debts of £4 million and an annual turnover of £4 million.

Craggs said the merger plans remained “in early discussions”.

When questioned about the reasons for Reinheimer-Jones’ departure, Craggs said she was “not at liberty to discuss personnel matters”.

Reinheimer-Jones’ exit came to light when FE Week received an automatic reply from her email address confirming she had left the college.

The former CEO, who joined the centre in 2023 and was previously director of student services at Sussex University, could not be reached for comment.

Cash crisis

The Mary Ward Centre’s financial crisis came in the aftermath of a major relocation of the so-called specialist designated institution from its central London base to Stratford, east London, in 2023.

For more than a century it had been based in Holborn, originating from the Victorian philanthropist “settlement” movement that fought to improve living conditions for the urban working-class through education and community.

The centre’s move to a new building in Stratford, that it refurbished and expanded at a cost of at least £14 million, was funded by loans and grants, including from the Greater London Authority.

But according to an FE Commissioner intervention report, the college was surprised by low cash levels due to “inadequate financial oversight” that included “manual” monitoring of student numbers and costs.

It ended the year to July 2025 with an operating deficit of £556,000 on an income of £3.9 million.

The Mary Ward Centre’s own assessment of the year was that its relocation resulted in “higher than expected” building running costs and required “significantly more” investment in curriculum, marketing and resources.

However, the college also said its enrolments and tuition fees were “up to 30 per cent” higher than during its final year in central London.

Its accounts added: “Our expectation is that in the short term, the centre will work towards a merger with Newham College, and that in the medium to long term, operations from The Mary Ward Centre in Stratford should ultimately see a return to much stronger financial sustainability, with the support of the merger partner and with corresponding careful budgetary management, increased student enrolments and higher average class sizes.”

Andy Forbes, director of the recently launched Centre for Advancement of Lifelong Learning (CALL), said the situation at the Mary Ward Centre was the “latest sad chapter in the story of the dismantling of adult education in England over the last decade”.

He told FE Week: “It’s an act of economic and social self-harm, contributing to the decline in community cohesion and the fragmentation of British society.

“In an era when people are living longer and experiencing more changes in technology during their working lives, we need more adult education, not less.”

Switch focus to national solutions on pay, UCU told

The University and College Union could vote to stop campaigning for annual pay rises and prioritise national bargaining instead.

At its annual congress next week, members will consider motions to decide strategy for its flagship ‘new deal for FE’ campaign, as well as setting national policy on Ofsted, adult education funding and “ending the corporate model” of college leadership.

Teachers at Luminate Education Group will call for the UCU to prioritise “national level expectations” on workload, teaching hours, national pay bargaining and pay parity with school teachers.

The Leeds City College branch, part of Luminate, will argue that since annual pay uplifts are decided by individual colleges, the UCU’s national campaign should focus on national wins, such as binding national bargaining and workload agreements.

Representatives will argue that pay should not form part of any national dispute this year.

The UCU has demanded a 10 per cent or £3,000 pay rise from FE colleges for several years, on top of demands to cut workload and secure pay parity.

The pay rises recommended by the Association of Colleges were 2.5 per cent in 2024 and 4 per cent in 2025, but came with warnings that such increases were unaffordable for many colleges.

Since then, colleges have been slapped with a real-terms cut to the 16-to-19 funding rate for the academic year 2026-27.

Bolton College, which is chaired by the union’s vice president of FE Suzi Toole, will also call for a special FE sector conference next year to define the grounds for the next dispute and ballot arrangements.

‘Politically motivated’ ESOL cuts

Elsewhere at congress, teachers at South & City College Birmingham will attack Greater Lincolnshire mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns’ defunding of ESOL courses as a “politically motivated and vindictive attack” on migrant communities, and will call on the union to lobby funding bodies for “protected status for ESOL”.

And the UCU’s Black members standing committee will demand research into the recruitment and progression of senior leaders in FE from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The motion will insist pressure is placed on the Association of Colleges to develop “equitable career development opportunities”.

Currently, just over one in 10 managers in FE are from a minority or mixed ethnic group background according to 2024-25 workforce data, a slight improvement from 8.6 per cent four years ago.

Membership fee fight

Congress is also expected to debate UCU membership fees, with the union’s leadership at odds with some of its members.

The UCU national executive’s report to congress shows a small increase in members working in further education at 27,047 as of April 30, up 389 on the year.

But it has shed over 2,600 members from higher education in the last year, bringing its overall membership down from 121,335 to 119,008.

UCU’s proposed budget for 2026-27 proposes a “limited increase” in membership fees, described elsewhere in documents as a “progressive movement”.

Membership currently costs teachers up to £31.54 per month, with lower fees for lower earners.

The proposals, seen by FE Week, would see an incremental increase to subscription rates the more a member earns. Those on salaries of £60,000 or more would pay 3 per cent more to their monthly subscription, while members earning under £30,000 would see a reduction of up to 3 per cent to their dues.

But UCU Cymru will demand a standard annual membership fee reduction of at least 15 per cent to make the union more “competitively priced”.

Internal strike

The annual congress takes place against the backdrop of an unresolved industrial dispute between UCU and its own staff.

Unite members who work at the teachers’ union staged an 11-day walkout in February over allegations of trade union victimisation, which UCU claimed were “categorically untrue”.

There has been no significant development in the dispute since.

Goldsmiths University submitted a motion expressing solidarity with Unite UCU members, calling on the union to donate £20,000 to their strike fund.

However, the motion has been removed from the order of business. According to a note in congress papers, discussing staffing issues would be a breach of congress rules, which cited risks to the union’s liabilities as an employer.

Procedural disputes are common at congress and delegates can argue for amendments to the agenda on the first day.

Financial mess forces Boston College into intervention

A Lincolnshire college has been placed into government intervention after suffering serious cashflow issues and breaching an unexplained legal requirement.

Boston College was issued a financial notice to improve (NTI) by the Department for Education today. The FE Commissioner’s team has now been called in to assess the college’s leadership, governance and finances.

The DfE listed two grounds for intervention. These were financial health concerns related to serious cashflow pressures and for “financial management and other controls relating to failing to adhere to a legal or regulatory requirement”.

The college said it had already begun to address the “historic” financial challenges with the DfE.

Principal and CEO Lynette Leith, who joined the college in November, “raised the seriousness of the college’s financial position with the DfE”, the notice to improve said.

The college told FE Week it was committed to transparency and accountability, but refused to provide details about the nature of the regulatory breach or cashflow pressures.

It must now comply with a set of conditions before its intervention status is lifted. These include a commissioner-led “capability and capacity assessment” and producing a detailed improvement plan, which will be monitored by the commissioner’s team.

Boston College’s finances slipped from a ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ financial health rating last year, according to its 2025 accounts.

It recorded an operating surplus of £519,000 compared to a £990,000 surplus in 2023-24.

Additionally, the college’s EBITDA fell to 2.6 per cent, under the 6 per cent sector target. The year before it recorded a 6.1 per cent EBITDA as a percentage of income.

The accounts stated that cashflow forecasts indicated “temporary pressure on liquidity”, with cash reserves declining to 11 days.

However, projections had predicted “recovery from February 2026 onwards, rising above 20 cash days and reaching 28 cash days by year-end”.

These “short-term cash constraints” were attributable to capital expenditure requirements for the college’s Mayflower construction project, which was due to complete last November.

Leith said: “This is an important time for Boston College. Having already begun to address the college’s historic financial challenges, we welcome the notice as an opportunity to continue improving with pace, transparency and accountability.”

Leith replaced Claire Foster who had worked in further education for 30 years, serving her last five years as Boston College principal.

David Earnshaw, Boston College chair, said: “Lynette, who joined the college in November, is determined to utilise the support of the DfE through the mutually agreed improvement plan.

“I have every confidence that the dedicated staff team will make sure that Boston College continues to deliver high-quality education, while achieving a financially robust future through rigorous management and governance.”

Movers & Shakers: Edition 534

Gemma Collins hate is snobbery, says Phillipson

Bridget Phillipson has defended the use of reality TV star Gemma Collins in a promotional video for vocational courses after it attracted backlash online.

The education secretary said criticism of social media clips featuring The Only Way is Essex star had veered between “outright snobbery and just downright unpleasant”.

She said the Department for Education sought to use Collins’ “incredible reach” online to discuss the importance of education to young people.

In the campaign video, filmed at the DfE head office, Collins spoke candidly of her educational struggles, including a failure to pass GCSE maths.

“I found it so panicky, and so stressful. Part of it was I didn’t believe in myself. All that pi over sky or whatever it is, you probably know,” she said.

Phillipson replied that the government’s ambitions were to create “great routes” into technical vocational education, trade occupations as well as strong academic options.

Collins added: “So everyone has got to remember there is always an opportunity out there for everyone.”

The video comes as the DfE plans to roll out V Levels at level 3 from next year and is consulting on level 1 “stepping stone” English and maths qualifications for GCSE resit students.

“You better make sure, hunnies, that whatever you’re going to be learning, you concentrate because you’re going to be taking it into your future career and one day, kids, this could be you… I hope this will help people to be ambitious,” Collins adds in the video.

FE leaders were among those who criticised the campaign.

“There is nothing about this whole stunt that I think is even remotely helpful,” said education policy analyst and former adviser to skills ministers Tom Richmond.

Darren Hankey, principal of Hartlepool College, said the messaging that implied vocational routes were for learners who fail academically was “insulting”.

“A good level of maths (and English) is needed to do well in vocational/technical qualifications and careers,” he added.

Anne Morris, founder of online maths tuition platform YipYap, said: “Many of us have spent a whole career promoting positive attitudes to maths for this to come from DfE.”

Speaking on radio yesterday, Phillipson dismissed critics as having a “killjoy attitude”.

“I think some of the discussion around this that I’ve seen has veered between outright snobbery and just downright unpleasant really and just a bit of killjoy attitude,” she said.

“There’s enough doom and gloom in the world. There’s enough bad things happening. A bit of joy and a bit of fun I think could do us all a good favour.”

TV star Gemma Collins speaking to education secretary Bridget Phillipson

The cabinet minister argued that Collins’ celebrity reach would deliver the government’s message to young people who “frankly don’t really care what the secretary of state for education has got to say about the topic”.

“She has got an incredible reach in terms of the kinds of voters and the audience and the citizens that we want to reach so it was a great opportunity,” Phillipson added.

In another video, Collins said she would do a morning TV spot if she was education secretary for the day.

“I would do a whole morning shout out. Go to school hunnies, go to college, go to uni, have a fabulous day and just be fabulous.”

Critics also questioned the value to the taxpayer. DfE officials defended Collins on social media, claiming she was not paid for the campaign, which was later confirmed by Collins herself.

Collins said in a video on her Instagram account yesterday she understood that people were confused about her collaboration with DfE.

“I do have experience with SEND. I don’t really at this stage want to go into it that much but I understand a little bit more than people think,” she said.

“I wasn’t paid. I’m creating a lot of noise about the subject. That is what I’m there to do.

“It’s a topic close to my heart. It’s all going to become clear, hun.”

Day in the life: The community campus lead peddling a virtuous cycle for students

Further education colleges often describe themselves as anchors within their communities, but at City of Bristol College, that commitment extends beyond a slogan.

Its team of three community campus leads work on students’ personal development alongside their education and employability skills.

Jake Sanders, community campus lead for the college’s Ashley Down and Parkway campuses, knows Bristol inside out. A former carpenter and a passionate cyclist, he carved out a career in FE after working on building sites.

This is what a typical day looks like for him.

5.00am

Three mornings a week, my day begins with a gravel bike ride. My usual 25km route climbs to a viewpoint above the River Avon, where I can look out across both Bath and Bristol – an incredible way to begin the day.

I think I fit well within FE because I understand what it feels like growing up with the stigma of being a free school meals kid.

My family sometimes couldn’t afford the 50p needed for school discos, and in the holidays we’d often live off jam sandwiches because money was tight. It shapes the way I think about inclusion and how colleges can support students beyond the classroom.

I knew my parents really wanted me to get an apprenticeship and earn a living, so I trained as a carpenter – and I loved it. But part of me also felt capable of much more.

7.30am

After taking a shower and getting the kids ready for school, I down a smoothie packed with oats and berries before jumping back on my bike and cycling to work.

The two campuses where I work have their own distinct feel. Ashley Down, where I am today, offers ESOL courses and SEND provision.

Its grey stone buildings carry a fascinating history as the site of the Müller Orphan Homes, founded in 1849 as a progressive alternative to the harsh Victorian workhouse system. The campus later became the exterior filming location for the BBC medical drama Casualty.

Meanwhile, Parkway Centre specialises in engineering, motor vehicle and construction courses. When I joined the college last year, I assumed that campus would feel like a natural fit because of my background in construction.

But over time, I’ve realised I probably fit in better at Ashley Down as supporting our most vulnerable learners plays to my strengths. My nephew has Down’s syndrome, which gives me a personal connection to supporting young people with SEND.

8.15am

As I’m locking up my bike, I notice a student who is already on his final written warning jumping his moped over a speed bump. I know he can become defensive when challenged by staff, and the last thing I want is for him to lose his place at college. He’s only 18 and already a father.

Instead of confronting him there and then, I ask him to come and see me an hour later so we can talk properly about what had happened. The approach worked. He acknowledged what he had done and no further action was needed.

A big part of my role involves contributing evidence at behaviour management meetings, but I always try to consider the wider context behind a student’s behaviour as part of our trauma-informed practice.

8.30am

I spend some time at reception greeting students as they enter. Many of our SEND learners arrive by taxi. Part of my role is simply being a familiar, welcoming face – someone who helps students feel they belong here.

I love the sheer variety that each day brings. One moment I’m organising a campus tour for local MP Darren Jones (the prime minister’s chief secretary), and the next I’m arranging a student talk on healthy relationships or reviewing CCTV footage for breaches of the student code of conduct.

I took a small pay cut to join this college because I’d always wanted to work here. Bristol is my hometown, and this role was unlike anything I’d seen before or since in further education.

9.15am

With GCSE exam season approaching, my office is piled high with boxes of calculators and exam supplies. I attend a meeting with staff working through the finer details, only to discover that one exam clashes with a student activity happening nearby. It’s the sort of logistical issue that can quickly become a headache if it’s not picked up early.

I don’t mind attending lots of meetings. When I first started as a carpentry lecturer at Wiltshire College & University Centre, aged 25, I remember sitting in my first staff meeting thinking, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid for this”.

Around me, lecturers were complaining about minor frustrations while I was thinking, “Last week I didn’t even have a toilet on site, working on building sites – what’s there to moan about?”

Teaching had always been my dream job, but stepping into FE felt like entering a different world. Up until then, I’d just been kicking around construction sites, so I carried a huge sense of imposter syndrome.

The first time I had to teach theory, I was terrified. I’d never stood in front of a room and spoken publicly before. But over time, teaching taught me how to communicate clearly and connect with people.

Moving into management was another challenge altogether. When I became deputy head of construction, the role felt alien and I struggled with the difficult conversations that come with leading staff. There were even moments when I tried to resign and return to full-time teaching, but thankfully, nobody let me.

Later, I joined Swindon College as a quality manager, a role that suited my growing interest in teaching, learning theory and the processes that underpin good education.

10.45am

I’m in a meeting planning a community picnic as part of the college’s Refugee Week activities. The idea is to create a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere where students can share food and sit together on picnic blankets so it feels like a genuine community event rather than a formal college activity.

A big part of my day is spent in such meetings with department heads and programme managers. In a recent meeting with our ESOL team, we were reviewing attendance data and noticed a dip during Ramadan. It prompted important conversations about how we can better support students during that period, including perhaps introducing later starts next year to better reflect their needs.

12.00pm

We’re hosting Avon and Somerset Police for a lunchtime pop-up linked to a project called Corridor Conversations, designed to reduce any distrust students may feel towards the police.

For our SEND learners, particularly those who experience anxiety or become dysregulated, the presence of police officers can feel intimidating. The aim is to create positive interactions and help students see officers as people they can approach for support. I spend time encouraging students to ask questions and talk openly with the officers about issues affecting them.

A couple of years ago Bristol suffered a rise in knife crime linked to postcode rivalries between gangs, although things have improved since then. We’re supporting the national knife crime initiative Operation Sceptre, and the police are making students aware there are safe and anonymous ways to hand weapons in.

12.30pm

I grab a panini and coffee in our student-run café, and catch up on emails. It’s the best place on campus to see students interacting with one another. I’m quietly keeping an eye on things, making sure they’re treating each other respectfully.

A huge part of my role is about making college feel like more than somewhere students simply pass assessments and get qualifications. It’s about creating a genuine sense of community.

Later, I head to our Parkway campus. I’ve developed a structured enrichment programme there for apprentices and vocational learners who might not normally volunteer for enrichment activities, to broaden their horizons and help prepare them for life beyond college.

The 12-session programme covers topics such as gambling awareness, driver safety and refugee myth-busting.

Often, our safeguarding team will come to me with concerns about behaviours emerging among students, and together we’ll organise talks or workshops to address them. As the network of local organisations I work with continues to grow, it gives me more flexibility to bring in the right support where it’s needed most. That’s probably the part of the job I enjoy most – knowing that, in some small way, I’m helping these young people make better life decisions.

2.00pm

As I arrive at Parkway, a group of motor vehicle students are gathered in the car park, chatting about cars and playing loud music. I stop briefly to join them in conversation, but the real reason was to ask them to lower the volume and remind them to use the designated smoking area before heading inside. I find challenging behaviours in this way more effective as it makes the interaction less confrontational and helps us to develop a respectful relationship.

I’m attending a student council meeting focused on plans to redevelop parts of the campus. We want students to help shape what that redevelopment looks like and gather feedback from their peers about what they think might improve their college experience.

Some staff understandably prioritise teaching, so part of my role is balancing those perspectives. I’m that bridge between different groups across the college – translating what students want into something workable for lecturers and support teams.

1.00pm-3pm [on Wednesdays]

One of the most rewarding parts of my day is seeing students experience something that many people take for granted: the freedom to ride a bike.

At Ashley Down, we work closely with a local organisation, Warmley Wheelers, that has a range of adapted bicycles so everyone can enjoy cycling, regardless of physical ability or disability.

At first, we ran a cycling collaboration at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club’s grounds, before moving it to the Ashley Downs food hall. During the sessions, the hall is transformed into a makeshift velodrome, with students navigating the adapted bikes around the space together.

The activity draws out our students’ potential; lecturers have described seeing them communicating with each other for the very first time while trying to overtake one another on the track. Forget the cycling; at that point it’s all about what else that project is doing.

3.00pm

Another part of my role involves leading the college’s approach to competitions. I work closely with departments to encourage students to take part in regional contests or create opportunities through internal events.

Today, I’m meeting with the programme manager for foundation and community learning to plan the next stage of Art Beyond Barriers, an inclusive SEND competition we’re running in partnership with four other colleges across the South West.

The project invites learners to creatively explore and express the barriers they experience in everyday life. Local artists help judge the entries, and the competition culminates in an exhibition and celebration event showcasing the students’ work.

More than anything, it gives learners the chance to connect with others who share similar experiences and feel seen through their creativity.

5.30pm

When I get home, I usually try to switch off from work so I can maintain a healthy work-life balance. At the start of each term, I’m full of energy and ideas, although by half-term I’m usually limping towards the finish line in need of a break. But the fulfilment I get from the job more than makes up for that. I feel incredibly fortunate to do work that genuinely means something to me.

Even now, though, I never want to lose sight of the fact that at heart I’m still a carpenter. I’m proud of that background. And whatever happens in my career, I love knowing I can still fit my own kitchen if I need to – which is a pretty useful string to my bow.

Most evenings, I’m tinkering with my bike in the garage or reading cycling articles on my phone, already thinking about the next ride.

In many ways, my job feels like cycling – the uphill parts can be tough, but they’re also what make the journey so rewarding.

Ofsted delivers ‘needs attention’ blow to Multiverse after starts stop on weakest apprenticeships

Leadership and training at apprenticeship giant Multiverse ‘needs attention’, Ofsted has said after inspectors found some apprentices were enrolled on courses that did not match their work roles and staff were overstretched.

It comes as FE Week learned the company has paused starts on multiple apprenticeship standards where performance is poor, following an agreement with the government.

The latest Ofsted result for Euan Blair’s firm marks a significant fall from grace since it was judged ‘outstanding’ in 2021 under the watchdog’s previous rating system.

The company, valued at an estimated £1.6 billion despite never turning a profit, has grown rapidly over the past five years, with apprentice recruitment soaring fourfold to 14,000. But achievement rates have consistently stayed low and barely half of apprentices successfully completed their training last year.

Ofsted inspected the company under its new report card approach in February and returned for an extra day in April to gather additional evidence after the latest qualification achievement rates were published by the government in March.

Leadership and governance, apprenticeship achievement, curriculum and teaching, and participation and development were all judged ‘needs attention’ – the second lowest of five possible ratings.

One ‘expected standard’ grade was handed out for inclusion.

‘Too many leave before completion’

Ofsted found that leaders have a “clear vision and commitment to work mainly with existing employees in large businesses to upskill and equip apprentices to work effectively and efficiently with artificial intelligence (AI) and data”.

But it added: “Apprentices do not have a consistently positive experience. The content of the apprenticeships for some apprentices is not well matched to their role at work, and too many leave before completion.”

Inspectors said that leaders are working to reduce the proportion of aborted apprenticeships by “improving initial advice and guidance so more apprentices are on courses that match their roles at work” – but the impact was “yet to be seen”.

A Multiverse spokesperson said the company “fundamentally does not accept that it is as blunt as people are on apprenticeships that are not suitable for them”.

They added: “We are delivering training in an emerging frontier technology, which the regulated system is beginning to catch up with. We told people extensively that we were going to be delivering AI apprenticeships, and in fact got encouraged and applauded on that journey, and we have also been completely transparent about the job titles, the different areas that our people work in, and [are] very, very proud of that.”

High workload

Ofsted said “too many” staff reported that their workload was “too high, with a large number of apprentices to support”.

Ofsted outlined this was largely due to staffing changes which leaders are in the process of resolving through increased recruitment and the use of AI to reduce administrative burden.

Inspectors found that apprentices “mostly” enjoy their online coaching and workshop sessions, but “many” feel these are “rushed, with limited time to ask questions”.

Ofsted reported that leaders have reduced the duration of some apprenticeships to meet employer demand – leading to “some” apprentices struggling to complete their learning in the time allowed.

Leaders also “do not work closely enough with employers to coordinate apprentices’ on- and off- the-job training”, while careers advice was found to be lacking.

Inspectors did however praise Multiverse’s “skilled” coaches and instructors, as well as the company’s inclusive culture, “appropriate support” from governors, and professional development opportunities for staff.

Ofsted stated that apprentices who remain and achieve gain “substantial new knowledge and skills” in AI, use of data and business analysis and management. They mostly remain in employment and gain promotion or increased responsibility.

Chloe Barker, senior director of quality at Multiverse, told FE Week the company is a “completely different provider” from when it was judged ‘outstanding’ in 2021, a time when it was only delivering to new employees in areas such as business admin and digital marketing.

She claimed inspectors came away from the latest inspection admiring Multiverse’s approach of delivering apprenticeships in “cutting-edge areas in domains where people don’t have job titles that perfectly match occupational-led standards” but while managing to achieve “a meaningful impact for them”.

Barker quoted internal statistics that show 70 per cent of the company’s withdrawing apprentices “deliver at least one project in their apprenticeship that has measurable return on investment”.

Some starts stopped

Training providers that receive ‘needs attention’ Ofsted judgments in leadership and any provision-type level evaluation area for apprenticeships are placed in the ‘needs improvement’ category under the government’s apprenticeship accountability framework.

Multiverse told FE Week that the government already intervened in the months leading up to the Ofsted visit as officials had early sight of their declining achievement rates.

The firm said it volunteered to pause starts on some apprenticeships, including leadership standards and the business analyst standard. Multiverse refused to provide the full list of apprenticeships where a pause has been contractually applied, but claimed it was a “small number”. It added it would continue to grow its data and AI-focused standards.

Leaders believe the pause will be lifted when qualification achievement rates improve.

Multiverse confirmed it was not invited to deliver the government’s flagship apprenticeship units, which include three new AI short courses funded through the growth and skills levy.

Multiverse’s overall achievement rate fell from 59 per cent in 2023-24 to 52.6 per cent last year. Its most popular standard, data analyst, recorded an even lower achievement rate of 50.1 per cent based on 2,770 leavers, while its lowest achievement rate was 42.3 per cent for the business analyst standard which had 760 leavers.

Starts at the training provider soared from 3,050 in 2020-21 to 12,030 in 2024-25. The business is on course to grow again in 2025-26, having recorded 8,390 starts in the first two months of the year – more than any other training provider in England.

‘We know what it takes to be an outstanding provider’

Multiverse is typically scrutinised by the national media due to its high-profile chief executive, high valuation, international AI work and growing apprenticeships division. The Times reported recently that it was accused of placing learners on apprenticeships ill-suited to their careers due to an “aggressive” focus on learner recruitment.

Examples from The Times included funeral planners and security guards enrolled on data and artificial intelligence apprenticeships.

Blair, son of former prime minister Tony Blair, defended the approach in a blog post where he admitted completion rates were too low and that his firm had not always managed the strain caused by fast growth “as well as we should”.

For Multiverse’s AI programmes, his team chose an “inclusive approach to enrolment” at the expense of completion rates.

Blair wrote: “Employers asked us to reach frontline workers – the people who typically get passed over for formal training. The result is a 50/50 gender split on our two biggest AI programmes and genuine reach across the country. That approach comes with a real trade-off on completion.

“One of our NHS apprentices reduced missed appointments in a hospital department by 30 per cent. A pay rise or promotion during or after the programme is the majority outcome for our learners.”

He added that Multiverse also hit “friction” because the regulated apprenticeship system hadn’t caught up with AI.

“The release of the first general purpose AI apprenticeship is now imminent; but nearly four years after ChatGPT launched. The right answer was never to simply ignore AI from an apprenticeship perspective – but we paid a price in our QARs for innovating ahead of the programmatic standards available. We’re working to close that gap.”

Multiverse has attracted more public funding to deliver apprenticeships in recent years than any other training provider.

Despite this, the company openly admits it “optimised for mass adoption of AI skills over completion rates”.

Responding to Ofsted’s report, a Multiverse spokesperson told FE Week: “Ofsted have recognised some of our strengths. They’ve also given us areas where we need to pay additional attention.

“We know what it takes to be an outstanding provider, because we have been that in the past, but our mission today is to prioritise mass adoption and reach as many people as possible.

“We work with the regulators, they’ve given us scenarios to pay attention to, and so we’re going to do that.”

Green energy training needs joined up delivery

The UK does not have a shortage of green ambition – but a lack of joined-up delivery is hampering the number of people learning much-needed skills in heating and plumbing.

The country continues to edge towards green heating solutions. For example, heat pump sales rose 27 per cent in 2025 to a record 125,000 units. Meanwhile, the government recently announced that from 2028 no new homes will be on the gas network, making either heat networks or heat pumps a necessity. The new homes must also have solar panels on their roofs, along with the EV chargers already required.

At the same time, the industry suffers from an ageing workforce. Government figures estimate that two-thirds of the installer workforce are aged 45 or older – and just over a third are aged 55 or older.

We see it within our own customer base at Smart Energy Training, where 20 per cent of our clients tell us they plan to retire in the next 12 months.

It’s understandable that these older members of the workforce have little or no interest in learning new green skills. They are more than happy to stick to what they know and has served them well for many years.

So, there is a huge opportunity for new people to enter the sector, secure the necessary qualifications and ultimately build a great career.

But, though at Smart Energy Training we are seeing growth and have plans to increase our number of training centres considerably, the uptake in green heating training programmes across the board has been lower than expected.

In my opinion, businesses are being asked to invest in skills before the market, the funding system and the grid have all caught up.

The level 3 low carbon heating engineer apprenticeship is a 24-month course. For employers of all sizes – but particularly smaller operators – that is a considerable commitment over a long period of time.

The UK will still need gas-qualified engineers for many years to safely maintain existing stock, decommission old systems and support households through the switch, so some businesses will consider there is enough ‘traditional’ work without turning to new technologies.

At Smart Energy Training, we are constantly working with employers and manufacturers in the sector to provide the very best low carbon apprenticeship programmes that exceed requirements. But the apprenticeship does take time as air source heat pump installation is not simply a product course. It requires system design, commissioning, servicing, fault finding, customer handover and an understanding of MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) standards.

Funding uncertainty also makes things harder. Grants and incentives can stimulate demand, but when they are reduced, narrowed, extended late or made difficult to navigate, employers hesitate. There is some limited funding available for the heat pump short courses for experienced engineers, but industry newcomers either need to do an apprenticeship or a managed learning programme (MLP) with heat pump lessons weaved in.

The MLP is currently £6,500 so it is not a small investment for an individual. We are talking to combined authorities to see if some courses can be funded through skills bootcamps, which would make a huge difference.

The grid is another missing part of the skills debate. In areas such as Stockton and Tees Valley, there have been planning and retrofit constraints where new housing developments and large retrofit schemes have been limited or delayed because the local electricity grid doesn’t have enough spare capacity. Around 15 per cent of cables and almost half of substations may need replacing to meet the UK’s net zero goal.

In those problem areas, it might not be feasible for a housebuilder to install some green technologies as the grid capacity just isn’t there.

Ultimately, the speed at which the country switches to heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicles will be determined by the general public. It took 20 years or so to dissuade people from having gas fires in their homes – but it did eventually happen.

To accelerate the process, we need more joined up action. That means consistent, reliable funding, new construction and grid improvements.

As green energy becomes the norm, more businesses will be willing to release their people for training. But those employers that invest early will steal a march and be best placed to reap the benefits or a changing landscape.

The future of learning isn’t academic or vocational – it’s both

Higher technical education is reaching a turning point.

For years, the debate around level 4 and 5 education has been positioned as a question of how to tackle the “missing middle”.

That terminology now feels outdated.

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) are, rightly, gaining increasing recognition thanks to Institutes of Technology and their partners championing employer-led education.

This progress is supported by the government’s continued investment in technical education pathways.

The challenge now is ensuring learners understand these opportunities exist and feel confident to move flexibly between education and employment throughout their careers.

Changing perceptions, from fixed to flexible

For many years, young people were encouraged to see university as the default route. Thankfully, that is beginning to change.

Increasingly, learners are recognising that technical education can offer a more flexible, affordable and employment-focused pathway, with ongoing opportunities to progress, earn and continue learning depending on preference at that particular time.

For example, at GMIoT, we are working to ensure every level 4 and 5 programme has a clearly identified one-year degree top-up route. Learners can then choose to progress immediately or return to study later alongside work.

This is important, because for many people, they want the option to step in and out of education as their careers develop or as their circumstances change, building work experience alongside academic progression.

Meanwhile, for many employers a blend of technical study and real workplace experience is becoming increasingly valuable, giving them a pipeline of talent that meets current and future needs.

Connecting education and employment

We often talk about skills shortages, but there is also a pathway gap between education, higher technical study and long-term careers.

By pathway gap, we mean that many learners still struggle to see how different qualifications connect to one another, where progression routes lead, or how technical education links to degree-level study and skilled employment over time.

Opportunities at level 4 and 5 are expanding rapidly, with increasing focus on how those routes connect more clearly across education and employment.

Recruitment practices are also evolving. Employers are recognising the value of higher technical skills and beginning to shape clearer entry routes and progression opportunities around them.

Fostering stronger collaboration between education and industry will help learners to see clearly how technical qualifications connect to long-term careers.

At the GMIoT, we design the curriculum alongside our employers. For example, Siemens’ Connected Curriculum aims to bring academia and industry together by giving our students access to the Industry 4.0 technology they will use on the job.

What a more joined-up system looks like

Technical education is gaining momentum, supported by a more flexible lifelong learning approach.

Under the leadership of Andy Burnham and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, our region is creating a joined-up technical education ecosystem, rooted in place and shaped by demand.

Initiatives such as the MBacc enable young people to be introduced earlier to the full range of academic and technical pathways available to them.

Institutes of Technology are also showing how a more coherent system can work in practice, aligning curriculum with industry, creating clearer progression routes and offering more flexible pathways.

Crucially, learners are beginning to understand that movement between those routes is possible at every stage. Learners might progress from A Levels into a technical level 4 or 5 qualification, or from a T Level or BTEC into a full degree programme.

This is no longer about choosing between “academic” and “vocational” education. It is about personal choice: how people prefer to learn, how quickly they want to enter the workplace and how they balance career progression with the cost of study.

Learners are making decisions that reflect their individual circumstances and ambitions – and that is a positive shift.

Moving forward

The next phase for higher technical education is about confidence, visibility and connection.

We know what works well: flexible pathways, closer employer collaboration and clearer progression routes that allow learners to move between education and work throughout their lives.

Importantly, Greater Manchester is showing how technical education can become a mainstream, high-status choice and a core part of how we develop the skilled workforce the economy needs.