Phillipson ‘shifts the goalposts’ on 6.5k teachers pledge

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has backtracked on a key element of her flagship pledge to recruit 6,500 “new” teachers – confirming that they won’t all be new.  

The target also omits any mention of recruiting teachers in “key subjects” and comes after confirmation that primary teachers will be left out too. 

Last spring, Labour made “recruit[ing] 6,500 new teachers in key subjects” one of its six “first steps for change”. 

Experts said this should be fulfilled by boosting recruitment – and retaining more teachers. Phillipson pledged in November last year they would all be “new teachers”. 

However, the government has now confirmed the target will look at how much the workforce has grown overall, rather than at just “new” recruits. It will only apply to secondary and college teachers. 

The number of teachers across both sectors in the 2023-24 academic year will be used as the baseline number, with the government aiming to hit the target by the end of parliament in 2029. 

Jack Worth, the school workforce lead at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), said framing the target so it included improvements in retention was “absolutely the right approach”.  

But Emma Hollis, the chief executive of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), said the change “fundamentally shifts the goalposts”. 

“It’s important to be clear and transparent about the distinction between keeping existing teachers and recruiting new ones. 

“Redefined targets…risk masking the scale” of the teacher supply challenge.

A DfE spokesperson said that supporting teachers to stay in the profession and thrive is essential to achieving the pledge “in a sustainable way. A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy.” 

Shortage subject promise dropped 

Labour’s June 2024 manifesto promised the 6,500 would be “expert teachers in key subjects”.  

The word “expert” was dropped from the December 2024 Plan for Change, with the pledge instead for “6,500 extra teachers, focusing on subjects with shortages”. 

Neil O’Brien, the shadow schools minister, accused the DfE of “refus[ing] to define what they mean”. 

A DfE spokesperson told FE Week “key” subjects were “the shortage subject areas that are most acute”. 

However, the 6,500 target includes all secondary subjects. The government would not say what proportion of new teachers would be in shortage subjects.  

It instead pointed to current retention incentives for maths, physics, chemistry and computing. 

Is it enough? 

Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, urged ministers “not to fixate” on the 6,500 figure, and to “focus on meeting the actual need for teachers across the board”. 

He cited a recent National Audit Office report that highlighted FE colleges needing between 8,400 and 12,400 teachers by 2028-29 to meet rising demographic needs.  

The same report estimated 1,600 more secondary teachers needed between 2023 and 2027. 

In this context, Labour’s pledge “doesn’t seem to be anywhere near enough”.

He said the 6,500 target remained “very challenging”, which the government must “bring forward new policy measures” to meet. 

“There remains a risk the government hits the target, but misses the point.” 

Prevent referrals in FE drop by a quarter

The number of FE students referred to the government’s anti-terrorism programme dropped by over a quarter last year, as experts suggest learners are “self-censoring” to avoid being flagged.

FE institutions made a record high 215 referrals in 2022-23, but this figure dropped by 27 per cent to 157 in 2023-24.

The Home Office data, obtained by FE Week through the freedom of information act, showed that most FE radicalisation concerns were categorised as “conflicted” or “no ideology”.

College leaders have called for more clarity on how to deal with vulnerable students without a defined ideology after an 18-year-old male student was radicalised online to fight for Ukraine and ultimately died. A Prevent officer had cleared him of having an extreme ideology motivating his choice.

College experts and Prevent critics have suggested that the drop in referrals could stem from students’ increased awareness of college online monitoring software, which detects what learners are searching online.

Eddie Playfair, senior policy manager at the Association of Colleges, said: “In recent years, there’s been a stronger requirement for schools and colleges to use filtering and monitoring software to screen online activity by students on college systems. 

“These have both an automatic and a human element and may have initially flagged more concerns than previously. It may also be that students’ online behaviours have changed as a result of their increased awareness of the monitoring.”

Jacob Smith, who authored a report in January by human rights charity Rights & Security International on the “policing” of children and young people on Prevent data collection, added that a drop in FE referrals “does not necessarily equate to decreased harm”.

“We know that the threat of referrals is a real issue, with people self-censoring due to a fear of being referred,” he added.

A previous report by digital rights campaigner Open Rights Group revealed Prevent referrals data can be stored on police databases for a minimum of six years and “could be justified for up to 100 years”, even when the referral is escalated to channel, which involves bespoke support through a de-radicalisation programme.  

Carlie Smith, safeguarding and behaviour manager at Kirklees College, told FE Week the college’s Smoothwall software flagged 18 alerts this academic year of “terrorism/extremism” and another 40 alerts of hateful rhetoric, causing staff to intervene in person to spot any concerns.

“As most radicalisation of young people happens online, we feel this may be a reason for fewer referrals,” she added.

However, she added the college has seen a three-year upward trend in students’ understanding of extremism, radicalisation and British Values.

“We do feel that in some part, the education piece is having some effect,” she said.

Clarity on extremism categories

Most of the 2022-23 FE referrals which categorised as “vulnerability present but no ideology or counterterrorism risk” (38 per cent). In 2023/24, out of a total 157 FE referrals, 32 per cent had this label.

The second highest concern was the “conflicted” category, making up 22 per cent of all 157 FE referrals in 2023/24, a record high proportion since the data was made available.

Carlie Smith said her college raised concerns with the local Prevent team on the “lack of clarity” around the categories, particularly what consists of an “incel” referral.

Incel referrals are low in FE, the data shows. Cases doubled from two to four last year and only one was accepted into channel.

Kirklees College experienced eight incidents of extremism and two of radicalisation in 2023-24, three of which were referred to Prevent. Carlie Smith said two didn’t meet the threshold, and one student who was referred did not consent to the voluntary scheme.

One case that didn’t meet the threshold was an 18-year-old male who was radicalised online to fight for Ukraine in the Ukraine/Russia war, where they died. 

She said he met with a Prevent officer, who determined he had “no extreme ideology” motivating his choice, though he acknowledged a “very real and imminent threat” of him travelling to fight. 

Islamist concerns rise

Though the numbers are few in FE, FE Week analysis found a 46 per cent rise in referrals with Islamist extremism concerns.

A total of 16 Islamist referrals were made in 2023-24, up from 11 in 2022-23. The highest figure was in 2018-19, as far back as Home Office data was provided, where 17 referrals were made.

Layla Aitlhadj, who runs Prevent Watch, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that supports people who have been referred, said she was “deeply sceptical” about the statistics as they “often obscure more than they reveal”.

Aitlhadj suspected the increase could be down to the 2023 Prevent review from William Shawcross that recommended an increased focus on Islamist extremism.

She also hypothesised that data of referrals logged after October 2023 should account for increased student activism around Palestine since Israel’s offensive in Gaza following the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7.

“I believe that this is most likely due to the well-known tendency to securitise Muslim students’ legitimate political engagement, in this case those expressing solidarity with Palestinians or critiquing UK foreign policy,” she said.

Campaign groups such as CAGE International raised concerns in 2021 about school pupils being referred to Prevent over Palestinian solidarity and even brought a legal challenge in 2022 against DfE guidance for “political impartiality in schools”.

The Home Office said there was “little difference” in the comparative monthly data of all Prevent referrals from October, November and December 2023 compared to the same periods the prior two years. However, it did not specify the types of concerns or the source of referrals.

Just one of the 16 Islamist referrals made it to channel. In 2022-23, zero cases made the channel threshold.

Ofqual considering ‘action’ amid AI coursework concerns

Ofqual is considering whether “any action is needed” amid concerns the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) could undermine confidence in coursework. 

Sir Ian Bauckham, chief of the exams regulator, has also revealed he has a crack team examining the tech’s risks, benefits and the way it’s “evolving”. 

The senior official made the comments during an event at the Festival of Education on Thursday, as he predicted AI “probably will be” used to support marking. 

Responding to a question on how its emergence could impact confidence in A-levels with assessments not under exam conditions, he said: “There are a couple of A-levels that do have written [assessments] – I think they’re history, English language and literature.

“The risk that you are flagging is a risk that we’re aware of, and we’re looking hard at that and considering whether or not any action is needed.”

Ofqual’s ‘specialist’ unit

Bauckham branded as “lazy thinking” the notion that because of the tech, assessment “that accurately reports what [students] actually know is either not needed or can be outsourced” to AI. 

But the tech could have a “positive impact on the work of ensuring that exams are accurately marked and that papers don’t go missing”. 

Sir Ian Backham

He said it “probably will be” used to “support the quality assurance” of grading.

“We have our own relatively small but very specialist unit inside Ofqual that specialises in AI, exploring risks, benefits and the way in which AI is evolving,” he added. 

“[This is so] we can really approach this subject… from an informed and up-to-date perspective.”

Bauckham also confirmed Ofqual and the Department for Education have carried out “detailed work to investigate the opportunities, benefits, challenges and risks of onscreen assessments”. The work will be published later this year. 

How apprenticeship coaches can bridge the NEET gap

With recent NEET (not in education, employment or training) data highlighting persistently high numbers of young people out of work, it has never been more important to ensure young people have inspiring role models who provide a real, relatable path to success.

Since the pandemic alone the number of males aged 16 to 24 who are NEET has increased by a staggering 40 per cent, compared with just seven per cent for females, according to the Centre for Social Justice’s Lost Boys report. It also highlights the devastating impact of a lack of role models – and how easily “negative” influences can take their place. Teachers do a huge amount for young people, but are often viewed as authority figures rather than people to emulate. That’s where apprenticeship coaches can be different.

Apprenticeships act as a bridge from education to the world of work, and the coach plays a key role in making this a successful journey. Seeing someone who looks like them, shares their background and has overcome similar challenges, for example, through an apprenticeship makes the pathway feel possible.

How my own journey shaped the coach I became

I grew up in a rough part of west Newcastle with two older siblings. That upbringing gave me independence and resilience, but also showed me how easy it is to go down the wrong path without the right guidance. I saw firsthand the difference it makes when someone believes in you.

At university, I started volunteering with a small charity called Hat-Trick. It was there I met my first real mentor, Dwayne. He saw something in me I didn’t see in myself, and the belief he showed gave me the confidence to keep going. That experience changed the direction of my life and inspired me to become a coach, opening my eyes to the power of mentorship.

How I help apprentices build confidence

One moment that stands out is working with an apprentice who was terrified of speaking in front of groups. They would second-guess themselves and avoid participation during education days. I started with small changes – encouraging them to speak just once in a group discussion, then gradually building it up to short presentations in front of peers. With regular positive reinforcement, they eventually stood up and delivered their end point assessment confidently. The key is creating low-pressure opportunities for growth and celebrating small wins.

Relationships are at the heart of everything I do. Early on, I make a point of having open, honest conversations about each apprentice’s interests, goals, and the kind of journey they want over the next 16 to 18 months. This helps tailor my support and often uncovers shared interests that build trust.

Apprentices know they can come to me even after their programme ends. I’m proud to be a continuing mentor and sounding board – someone they know won’t disappear once the certificate is signed.

Developing communication skills

Communication is more than talking. It’s about tone, body language, clarity and empathy. An effective way I develop these skills is having apprentices run sports sessions with each other. This builds confidence in giving instructions, adapting their message and reading group dynamics.

We also work in small groups during face-to-face sessions, which encourages active listening and teamwork. I support learners through practice sessions and peer feedback ahead of their end point assessment presentations, helping them find their voice and feel proud to use it.

What doesn’t work

One thing that doesn’t work when supporting young people is expecting them to take full responsibility for something when they haven’t been given the right support or guidance to begin with. It’s unrealistic and often discouraging, making them less likely to take initiative in the future.

What does work is creating a safe space where apprentices feel they can ask questions, make mistakes and grow. Once they feel supported, particularly by someone who they feel has their back, they’re far more likely to take ownership and pride in their own progress.

At a time when young people are understandably anxious about their futures and face real challenges entering the workforce, apprenticeship coaches can make all the difference. With empathy, honesty, and a bit of lived experience, we help turn uncertainty into confidence — and apprentices into future role models.

One year in, Labour’s skills revolution is feeling hollow

The Labour government has used up a fifth of its parliamentary mandate. Realistically, it has only 36 months left to demonstrate that it can deliver on its core mission to return growth to the British economy.

A key part of that mission is to raise living standards by fixing the nation’s skills. Labour MPs are banking on a “decade of national renewal”.

Of course, it would be churlish to write off policymakers just yet. Whitehall still has the chance to prove its critics wrong. If they fail, the opinion polls suggest that Sir Keir Starmer will be a one-term prime minister.

If a week is a long time in politics, then a year is a good metric to measure what the government has achieved in skills policy.

In practical terms, the skills mission of this government has only really got going in the past few weeks. We’ve seen a slew of announcements focused on its industrial strategy, including the investment in skills required to deliver Labour’s house building and net zero commitments.

What is still not clear is a detailed roadmap of how the Department for Education and Skills England will shift the dial on the economic doom-loop the country finds itself in: high taxes, poor workforce productivity and low growth.

This blueprint is promised in the post-16 skills white paper, yet ministers are coy about when it will appear, never mind what detail we can expect to see in it.

Over the past year, the government has struggled to communicate a coherent narrative on skills. It came into office after 14 years in the political wilderness with a series of vague proposals built around a single institutional change: creating Skills England.

Strangely, that body is nothing like what Lord Blunkett laid out in October 2022 at the launch of his “council of skills advisers” report – a launch attended by the then shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson.

Skills England was supposed to be an independent, cross-government statutory body. Blunkett took a decidedly anti-Whitehall-knows-best approach, calling for a decentralised system to “rapidly restore a sustainable upward trajectory in growth and productivity”.

Newly minted ministers, advised by civil servants, had other ideas.

Not only has Whitehall doubled down on the failed bureaucratic market centralisation model of the past 40 years, senior DfE officials made sure Skills England was placed under the thumb of a permanent secretary and a director-general for skills who advised the last Conservative government. And therein lies the real missed opportunity of Labour’s first year in office.

It started well. Starmer made the point in his August 2024 Downing Street speech, saying: “When there is deep rot in the heart of a structure, you can’t just cover it up. You can’t tinker with it or rely on quick fixes.”

Yet that is precisely how the skills minister, Baroness Jacqui Smith, has marked her first year in office. The veteran Blairite has made technocratic tweaks to apprenticeship assessments, funding and duration, while rebranding other initiatives in a manner that is reminiscent of what the Institute for Government calls “the tendency to abolish and recreate organisations as a proxy for demonstrating progress”.

This performative approach to policy is how Skills England has behaved. Management buzzwords of “partnership” and “simplification” abound, while avoiding any hard metrics of how parliament can hold it to account for raising skills levels.

Maybe that will be revealed in the expected white paper?

In an echo of the cruel disability cuts debacle, DfE ministers have made some very un-Labour choices, such as the 6 per cent cut to adult and community education.

Job updates from officials on LinkedIn felt Kafkaesque

But this is what happens when you rely on the same people who advised the Conservatives. You get poverty of ambition. Take the number of those not in education, employment or training (NEETs). All Smith could tell the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) conference was that she would “stall” the shocking rise.

It has felt Kafkaesque to observe the job updates from officials on LinkedIn, telling the world that they will be doing the same role for Skills England as they were for the abolished Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. 

Hundreds of hours of wasted parliamentary time to arrive back at square one.

Meanwhile, the real incomes of working people have increased by only 0.1 per cent since this government came to office. The same workers that Labour will need to win over to secure a second term.

AI Is rewriting tech careers – Can educators keep up?

Despite the global technology market’s sluggish recovery following widespread layoffs, recent data shows bright spots in the UK tech market that educators can help their students take advantage of. But that is only true if they successfully pivot to new growth areas.  

AI rewriting roles

AI has transformed tech jobs in just two years, changing demands on both bootcamps and computer science degrees.

Roles such as prompt engineer, highly sought after in 2022, are almost nonexistent today.  Conversely solutions architects, once considered “tech-adjacent”, now command a higher salary than full-stack developers.

Tech educators are struggling to keep pace. Computer science degrees still emphasise programming theory fundamentals, while coding bootcamps that focus on drilling static languages are closing down.

Both approaches risk irrelevance in a market where skill demands are evolving rapidly.

AI trainer, AI data specialist, and AI security specialist are now the top roles companies plan to add in 2025, according to Microsoft’s survey of 31,000 employers.

Only the tech sector is experiencing such relentless, AI-driven turnover in required skills. AI-related roles are expanding 3.6 times faster than the average UK job, with skill requirements evolving 25 per cent faster than other sectors.

Today’s skills are yesterday’s news, meaning an educational shift to instilling students with the capacity to teach themselves new frameworks – according to market demands – is now more valuable to students than teaching transient skill sets.

Surging salaries

While the picture appears disheartening, for aspiring technologists and tech educators there are enormous opportunities in pivoting to this new capacities-based learning approach with AI – both in increased recruitment and higher salaries.

Demand for AI specialists has tripled in the UK. The average UK salary in AI-based roles stands at £77,781 a year – 64 per cent higher than the UK average. AI-skilled candidates command salaries up to 40 per cent higher than their peers.

This is due to all industries looking to incorporate AI alongside a lack of AI-skilled workers in the UK, with 78 per cent of tech employers struggling to find qualified talent.

This provides an open goal for those tech educators who can help learners fill that gap.

Pivot fast but think long-term

Alternative education programmes and universities are already shifting, but at different speeds. Bootcamps are moving from a Javascript-heavy focus to Python and other AI-relevant languages, benefiting from shorter iteration cycles to help them adapt to industry shifts.

Some have introduced AI and machine learning which sits within a wider approach to teaching under-the-hood mental models creating autonomous engineers.

In contrast, universities have been slower to adapt, although some are making the leap.

The University of York now offers a BSc in computer science with AI, with modules on machine learning, robotics and deep learning. And the Universities of Kent and Bristol are introducing AI degrees this year. However, after three years of study, it’s impossible to say what will be relevant in the field upon graduation with the increasing pace of tech innovation.

But the real opportunity is teaching students deep mental models that allow them to master any new framework or tech stack that arises, without needing to go back into education to upskill when the landscape changes again.

Data from 2025 shows that 70.1 per cent of full-time Codesmith graduates landed jobs within a year, with total compensation equivalent to £82,372.

With more relaxed attitudes to employees without degrees, bootcamps have the edge; 38 per cent of hiring professionals now say degrees aren’t important at all versus 19 per cent who said they are very important.

A new frontier

The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs report states that while AI is a disruptive force leading to an overall decline in jobs, technology-related roles are the fastest-growing jobs.

With the government’s drive to boost AI capabilities, appetite for AI-skilled technologists is soaring. Given the nation’s stagnant wages across most industries, tech educators who can bring students into this growing market offer a career and job security that exists almost nowhere else in the UK.

Plan for change funding to drive green construction skills

Chancellor, Rachel Reeves said: “We are determined to get Britain building again, that’s why we are taking on the blockers to build 1.5 million new homes and rebuild our roads, railways and energy infrastructure”.

Nevertheless, the construction sector continues to face a significant skills gap, challenges in recruitment, and a training system that is not adequately designed to meet the needs of the 95% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that dominate the construction sector.

The construction industry accounts for 11% of global emissions. It is estimated that there are 29 million buildings in the UK that require enhancements in energy efficiency through retrofitting, and a large-scale transition from gas to energy-efficient heat pumps.

The UK green construction market is projected to reach £6 billion annually.  The UK needs to develop a workforce with the necessary skills and capacity to deliver on this.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said: “Skills are crucial to this Government’s mission to grow the economy under our Plan for Change, and nowhere is that clearer than in the construction industry.”

The Plan for Change funding is designated for the following initiatives;

  • £100 million allocated for establishing 10 new Technical Excellence Colleges.
  • £165 million directed towards colleges for the expansion of construction courses.
  • £100 million reserved for 40,000 industry placements each year for Level 2 and Level 3 learners.
  • £80 million allocated to support employers in providing customized training.

Tim Balcon, CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted with the support the Government is giving the construction sector with increased investment.  This package will provide vital support where it is needed most… I genuinely believe this is a once-in-a-generation chance for us to recruit and train our workforce, equipping more people with the skills they urgently need now and in the future.”

Much of the proposed initiatives build upon the progressive efforts already undertaken in the Further Education sector. For instance, Yeovil College created a new green construction curriculum. They delivered training focused on in-demand practical skills by using “kit” from Sabre Rigs. The construction team at Yeovil College said: “This has resulted in training sessions that are hands-on, engaging, and focused on the green construction skills that employers demand.”

Similarly, the Bedford College Group has utilised Green Skills Solutions training programmes and equipment from Sabre Rigs Ltd as part of their Local Improvement Fund (LSIF) projects. The plumbing team remarked: “It is an excellent piece of equipment that can effectively demonstrate theoretical principles in a manner that students can comprehend.”

In order to fulfil commitments regarding housing, net zero, and growth, the Government’s Plan for Change has allocated funding to improve and fix training in construction. Success depends on revolutionising construction skills training, which includes enhancing access to contemporary green construction methods and technologies. The process of establishing a pipeline for a modern, skilled construction workforce with well-compensated green jobs has genuinely commenced.

Sabre Rigs Website

orders@sabre-rigs.co.uk

Telephone: 07468 759 512

Green Skills Solutions Website

hello@green-skills-solutions.co.uk

Telephone: 07468 759 512

Ensure that you do not fall behind and that your learners have access to the most up-to-date training equipment and practical green skills resources.

‘Judge me on what happens in September’ says Ofsted chief

Sir Martyn Oliver has said he should be judged on updated Ofsted reforms due to be released in September, admitting he only put out “foundations” of a plan originally because the sector demanded “urgent” reform.

The chief inspector has been widely criticised for the rushed nature of plans for new report cards and a new inspection framework.

It also emerged recently Ofsted won’t respond to its own consultation until September, giving leaders just weeks to digest the proposals before inspections resume in November – despite a previous pledge from the inspectorate that providers would get a full term’s notice.

Speaking at the Festival of Education this morning, Oliver was asked how his aim of rebuilding trust with the sector was going.

He said it had “gone to a certain level”, but added that “until we publish the document, there is nothing anyone else can do. And that is a difficult, difficult state.”

On the report card plans, Oliver said Ofsted “could have taken another one or two more years, but that wasn’t what the system was saying.

“The system was saying Ofsted needed urgent and quick reform. And so I chose to put something out that I knew would be just the beginnings, just the foundations.”

‘People will understand better in September’

He pointed to the watchdog’s testing of the proposals.

“I think we’ve done something like 234 test visits in the period between publishing that document and where we are today, and the amount of work that we’ve done to listen to teachers, to shape and to change. We’re taking that time to just get it absolutely right.

“And I think in September, some of the things that I originally set out to achieve, when I get a chance to explain them, I think people will understand better, and hopefully it will begin to rebuild that trust.”

Ofsted had originally pledged to give education settings a notice period “equivalent to one term between the publication of our post-consultation response and inspection materials and the start of education inspections”.

But with its firm plans now not coming until September, leaders have warned they will have just weeks to prepare for the new regime. Angry education union leaders wrote to education secretary Bridget Phillipson last week calling for new-style inspections to be introduced at the start of the 2026-27 academic year.

Oliver said he was “sorry” for the lack of notice, but said Ofsted had “never ever” paused inspection during development of a new framework before, as it will between September and November.

Would he as a leader be happy with just a few weeks’ notice?

“Well, it depends on what you see, what comes out from what I’m about to produce in September, which…I’m still at the state of finalising. And I can’t really go into until that point, but I think in September, judge me by what comes out and what you read then at that point.”

Combined authority pauses adult skills contracts after legal challenge

A new combined authority has paused the awarding of procured adult skills funding contracts after a provider launched a legal challenge over an alleged botched tender, FE Week understands.

The East Midlands County Combined Authority (EMCCA) has taken control of adult education for its region for the first time this year, with delivery set to start next month.

It put £7.8 million – down from an expected £10 million – out to tender in March. Winners were notified on June 13, but only £6.5 million was allocated.

One of the losing bidders – CT Skills Ltd – has now lawyered up to challenge the outcome.

A message from EMCCA sent to bidders, seen by FE Week, said: “We would like to inform you that EMCCA has received notification that a claim form has been submitted in relation to this procurement process. 

“As a result, we are currently unable to proceed with the award at this time. We will provide further updates as soon as more information becomes available.”

The grounds of the legal claim are not yet known. CT Skills said it could not comment as legal proceedings are ongoing.

FE Week understands multiple providers complained that feedback from markers did not match their bids.

An East Midlands Combined County Authority spokesperson, said: “The total value of the adult skills fund contract is £4.36 million, and the free courses for jobs contract is valued at £2.14 million.

“We are currently in the process of awarding contracts for the adult skills fund through the crown commercial service dynamic purchasing system. As this process is ongoing, we are unable to comment on individual applications at this time.”

EMCCA’s tender first put £5.56 million of ASF up for grabs, with maximum contracts of £650,000, plus £2.15 million for free courses for jobs.

It is unclear why the combined authority did not allocate the full amount.

EMCCA also grant funds ASF to 16 providers – mostly colleges and councils – to the tune of £45 million. Grant funded contracts are not affected by the tender pause.

This isn’t the first controversial adult education tender from a new combined authority. Last year, West Yorkshire cancelled its procurement for 2024/25, 22 days after contracts were due to start.

This was due to “substantial challenges” over the “validity” procurement scoring that led to a re-evaluation of bids earlier in the year.