Level 7 apprenticeship age restrictions are ridiculous barrier to growth

The apprenticeship sector has waited with bated breath since Labour’s conference in September, when plans were announced to restrict employers’ use of levy funds on level 7 apprenticeships.

Back then I described the decision as “retrograde” and assumed all level 7 apprenticeships would be axed – or at the very least the cutting of public subsidy would be “pretty widespread”.

Last week, education secretary Bridget Phillipson gave the first proper indication of what the level 7 decision will mean after many months of lobbying.

Having rolled back from removing levy funding with no exemptions, she is making an exception for young people who start a programme when aged 16 to 21. I am now amending my opinion to describe the situation as both retrograde and ridiculous.

There will be no 16 and 17 year olds qualified to undertake a level 7 apprenticeship, and a very small number of 18 to 21 year olds.

The suggestion is daft and somewhat disingenuous

The suggestion from government is daft and somewhat disingenuous. Should an age restriction be necessary, a more appropriate starting point would be for those aged 18 and, if the argument for an all-age, all-level apprenticeship programme is now lost (regrettably), include (at the very least) 19 to 25 year olds.

Leaving 16 to 21 year olds as levy fundable for level 7 apprenticeship programmes will do nothing but seriously harm public sector plans to develop the skills needed.

Any NHS trust will tell you how important it is to have the right leadership and clinical skills to meet the challenges they face. They will also tell you that the level 7 apprenticeship training they have procured is making a significant and positive impact. The idea that they can pay for the vital training outside of the levy is “for the birds”, they will say.

The government’s changes mean level 7 skills gaps will remain, hampering the ability of the NHS to meet the needs of its communities. Indeed, restricting the use of level 7 apprenticeships for the key NHS roles that have been developed at that level seems entirely at odds with the government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future.

NHS trusts will undoubtedly question why the government has raised the possibility of restricting their ability to use their apprenticeship levy to train key level 7 roles including community nurses, advanced clinical practitioners and a range of other key NHS occupations.

A question mark remains as to how the government wants apprenticeships to support the delivery of its industrial strategy and its focus on advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and ‘making Britain a clean energy superpower’.

Level 7 apprenticeship standards tick all those boxes, training up advanced robotics engineers, sustainability business specialists, artificial intelligence data specialists, ecologists, process automation engineers and systems engineers.

It is well understood that over 80 per cent of the 2030 workforce are already in work in 2025. Level 7 should have a key role in developing the skills of the adult workforce.

Government will not deliver its five missions or its industrial strategy by overly focusing apprenticeships on young people. It is cakeism to assume that apprenticeships can be focused on young people and entry-level roles, while at the same time maximising their contribution to the delivery of the government’s five missions.

Skills gaps and shortages exist at all levels. In an advanced economy such as ours, skills gaps and shortages at higher levels are particularly apparent.

Individuals following technical and vocational programmes do not follow a linear trajectory. Social mobility does not just happen by the age of 21, it can happen and should be supported to happen throughout an individual’s working life.

Phillipson’s decision, it would appear, is driven by political posturing and positioning. Rather than spuriously limiting level 7 funding by age, the government could have considered expanding levy parameters to raise or retain additional funding.

This would have meant more types of apprenticeships could be supported, and allowed for the levy to address vital skill shortages in the NHS and the public and private sector more widely.

Cutting apprenticeship support risks leaving a generation behind

It is imperative that young people get the support they need to pursue the career that is right for them. Initiatives to educate young people on the benefits of both higher education and further education are what is needed to achieve this, alongside tailored routes that mean they can learn and accumulate the skills they need to pursue their chosen path.

Then they can explore all the available routes, be it attending university or a vocational path, before setting off into the world with confidence.

The feedback we receive about the many skills-based programmes run by Education Development Trust shows a huge level of appreciation from the hundreds of thousands of young people who undertake them, as well as from teachers and parents.

And I’m happy to say that the Department for Education also appreciates skills-based further education programmes – providing millions of pounds of funding for a multitude of different initiatives.

The economic benefits to the UK of skills-based employment are also apparent. A 2024 report by the Learning and Work Institute found cuts to skills funding puts £20 billion of economic growth at risk.

That’s why I was surprised and disappointed to see the DfE announce it will cease funding for the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme from August this year.

ASK supports schools, special schools and colleges in England to raise awareness of apprenticeships and T Levels – offering a variety of activities to inspire learners, including mock interviews, assemblies and workshops. 

Launched in 2015, ASK has been run by various organisations, with the programme recently receiving  £3.4 million from the DfE, with £2.14 million paid last financial year and £1.27 million this year.

EDT delivers the programme across the London region, and as CEO, I have seen the positive impact of this first-hand.

It has supported more than half a million young people over the past five years and we have countless case studies of young people in London crediting the programme with transforming their lives.

Although no clear alternative has been put in place yet, the DfE’s aforementioned support for skills-based programmes means I am confident that one will be announced.

Shortages in the workforce have emerged in areas from traditional disciplines such as plumbing and carpentry, to emerging skills for the modern age, such as AI. We only need to look at current EDT programmes provided to young people to see how skills-based initiatives help to bridge this gap. 

West London Careers Hub promotes best practice in careers provision and work experience for young people – supporting institutions to educate 120,000 young people across 173 schools and colleges.

In addition, roughly 150 schools and colleges across England subscribed to our Inspiring Careers Programme and we provided careers guidance and work experience opportunities to approximately 17,000 students.

While I understand that difficult fiscal decisions must be made by the DfE, the cost of skills-based programmes is modest compared to their overall impact on the economy.

We only need to look at ASK, as well as other programmes provided by many different organisations, to see the great work undertaken to promote awareness and uptake of apprenticeships, traineeships and T Levels to students across the UK. 

That’s especially true for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who often lack access to networks and information about vocational careers.

I look forward to continuing to work with policymakers to champion skills-based programmes and provide a path for young people to have the fulfilling and long-standing careers they deserve.

Timetables, talks and trust – how we’re getting students to show up

At Leeds College of Building, we’ve taken a determined and structured approach to improving attendance. Our strategy has been multi-layered, but one fundamental principle underpins everything: consistency.  
 
Our students thrive when they experience structure, routine and a sense of belonging, and we’ve been relentless in ensuring they get that. When students are present and ready to learn, we know they have the best chance of securing sustained employment in the construction industry.  
 
The latest Ofsted monitoring visit in February highlighted the progress we’ve made. Inspectors commended our “range of highly effective strategies to improve attendance and punctuality,” recognising our “less punitive approach” that focuses on student support and incentives.  
 
Our work with students to identify barriers – whether financial, personal, or educational – and our commitment to removing or mitigating those barriers have been crucial.

Some of our most impactful initiatives include:

Attendance strategy 

We’ve developed a standalone attendance, punctuality and engagement strategy (separate from our behaviour policy) to ensure a focused and structured approach. It provides accountability across departments, allowing staff to track attendance patterns, intervene early and provide tailored support. By embedding attendance at the heart of our culture, we reinforce the message that regular attendance is essential for success. 

Timetable adjustments 

Our students told us rigid timetables can act as a barrier to attendance, particularly for those who struggle with motivation. So we’ve strategically timetabled English and maths lessons around vocational courses so students see these essential subjects as integral to their learning rather than standalone requirements. By reducing the separation between practical and academic learning, students feel a stronger sense of relevance and purpose. 

Parental engagement 

We’ve strengthened relationships with parents and carers. From enrolment onwards, they’re informed about the importance of attendance and their role in supporting their child’s success. We provide regular updates, progress reports and attendance monitoring letters. This creates a shared responsibility for student success. 

Inclusive classroom model 

A structured and supportive learning environment is vital for student engagement, particularly for those who may have struggled in traditional educational settings. Our inclusive classroom model, embedded in our teaching and learning strategy, provides a framework that ensures consistency in classroom expectations, lesson delivery and student support. When students know what to expect and feel included in their learning journey, they are more likely to attend regularly. 

Employer involvement 

Through our guest talks, industry experiences and career development opportunities, students hear first-hand from professionals about the real-world consequences of poor attendance. These interactions not only highlight the importance of reliability but also provide students with tangible career aspirations. 

Today’s talks 

Each session begins with ‘Today’s Talks’, where attendance and time management are key discussion points. These structured conversations help students understand the long-term impact of punctuality on their reputation, employability and overall success. By integrating these discussions into daily learning, we reinforce the message that attendance is not just a college requirement but a life skill. 

Time management in tutorials 

Finally, recognising that poor attendance is often linked to organisational challenges, we’ve integrated time management lessons into the student-led tutorial programme. These sessions give students practical strategies for planning their schedules, prioritising tasks and developing a disciplined approach to their studies.

Our relentless approach is paying off. Ofsted inspectors noted that our actions led to “substantial improvements” in attendance. Over the past two years we’ve driven improvements of 3.4 per cent in overall attendance.

However, what truly matters is the impact we’ve made by working closely with students who face complex challenges and those who’ve struggled with attendance. We have countless success stories where personalised student support has helped individuals overcome barriers.

Our progressions and positive destination rates are now at an all-time high: nine in 10 of all our students have positive destinations, with over 1,200 students across provision types progressing into permanent employment – despite 66 per cent of students coming from the UK’s most deprived areas.  

We will continue to refine and enhance our approach to ensure every student here has the best chance of success. 

We’re haunted by the ghosts of failed curriculum reforms

Professor Becky Francis has some huge decisions to make as she prepares to submit her final recommendations to the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson.

Francis follows a long line of ‘independent education experts’ tasked by ministers to examine the efficacy of the national curriculum, including post-16 skills.

More recent holders of the title include Sir Mike Tomlinson, known as the “safest pair of hands in education”. He advised New Labour in 2004. Meanwhile, Baroness Alison Wolf conducted her review during the Tory-led coalition government (2010-15).

Both these curriculum reviews turned out to be poison chalices.

Tomlinson couldn’t get traditionalists in Downing Street to abolish A levels, so the then education secretary, Ed Balls, pressed ahead with implementing 14-19 diplomas that failed to gain traction.

The Wolf Review took a ‘flamethrower’ to so-called ‘non-value’ qualifications, only for the cohort of secondary pupils that came after to be worse off in attainment terms, according to the only academic study of the period.

Researchers found the reforms led to a fall in the percentage of pupils achieving Level 2 of the national qualifications framework (5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent), from 72 per cent in both 2012 and 2013 to 61 per cent in 2014.

In other words, these reforms achieved the opposite of what they were supposed to.

That’s why this latest curriculum review must make the case based on first principles. Not political gerrymandering or some wishful thinking about ‘parity of esteem’.

T level policy is a case in point. Since Lord Sainsbury completed his review in 2016, this political chameleon and multi-party donor has been on manoeuvres to secure his backward vision of upper-secondary education.

Sainsbury makes no secret of his agenda in his book, Windows of Opportunity. He dislikes awarding bodies’ independence, competition between providers, and student qualification choices; hence, the Department for Education owns T levels.

The segregated upper secondary curriculum whereby students are forced to make a binary choice between A levels and T levels was all his idea. As the Protect Student Choice campaign demonstrated in opposition to the abolition of BTECs, it’s the old class politics of the 1944 Education Act all over again. Instead of pupils divided at 11 between academic and technical ability, this new form of education apartheid is enforced at age 16.

Today’s youth cohort is made to choose between A levels and T levels – they can’t combine both.

Fundamentally, this is why T levels are doomed to fail. Young people and their working-class parents are not stupid. They can see when a liberal elite is trying to pigeonhole their offspring into two different brain types: the grammar track for the academically minded and the occupational track for those more ‘practical’ in their dispositions.

As a professor of education, Becky Francis will know that this was the same position taken by the Norwood Committee in 1943. After the war, it led to the discredited 11-plus examinations and segregated secondary education.

The Labour titan of 1960s education, Anthony Crosland, famously got rid of this socially divisive system by issuing his 10/65 Circular, introducing comprehensive schools.

That’s why T levels are so stuck in the past. They are premised on perpetuating class divisions instead of the powerful and progressive idea that all our young people, regardless of background, should benefit from a good comprehensive education until the compulsory leaving age.

Eighteen is effectively the school-leaving age in England. The government should set a high bar for all learners until this age, not divide them like sheep and goats.

Denying teenagers the choice of combining A levels with vocational options is nothing more than class prejudice masquerading as progress.

If Bridget Phillipson wants to go down in history as a transformative secretary of state, she must ensure her curriculum review ends the hard-wired unfairness of T levels, embracing diversity and choice for young people instead.

Beyond numbers: What supervisors really think about apprenticeships

While government efforts to simplify and grow apprenticeships remain a work in progress, the view from those managing apprentices remains encouragingly positive.

As a national business and professional apprenticeship provider, we recently undertook a survey of 256 apprentice supervisors – the people responsible for day-to-day apprentice management. It showed us where apprenticeships are providing value to organisations.

Some 70 per cent of supervisors cited the new ideas and perspectives apprentices bring to their teams, 56 per cent highlighted energy and motivation, 48 per cent welcomed the freeing up of others’ time and 46 per cent mentioned productivity. Overall, 94 per cent of supervisors felt apprentices bring value to their team.

Yet the most valuable impact for supervisors themselves – cited by 89 per cent – was the opportunity to watch someone develop and grow. It’s a reminder of the holistic benefits of apprenticeships.

The research also reveals where gaps in support lie.

Balancing softer and more practical management skills

Soft skills are considered most important to supervising apprentices effectively, with the provision of constructive feedback, building rapport and supporting wellbeing and motivationbeing highlighted by more than 90 per cent of respondents. In the last two areas, most supervisors state they are performing “very well”.

However, their self-assessed performance in other areas is weaker, particularly the more practical aspects of apprentice supervision: while more than 76 percent consider keeping apprentices on track with their apprenticeship “very important”, only 42 percent feel they do it “very well”.

Meanwhile, 87 per cent place maximum importance on allocating appropriate work, but only 58 percent are doing it “very well”. And while 94 percent emphasise the importance of providing constructive feedback, only 67 per cent feel they’re excelling at it.

Other challenges identified by supervisors included finding time to support apprentices(cited by 53 per cent) and understanding how the apprenticeship works(42 per cent). Conversely, supervisors are navigating other challenges well, such as giving apprentices off-the-job study time (80 per cent) and keeping apprentices engaged and motivated (76 per cent).

So how can supervisors and their organisations improve their skills further to ensure everyone benefits from apprenticeship programmes.

1. Creating confidence

Demonstrate a clear vision for apprentices’ roles in the organisation. Newer managers will benefit from colleagues with experience of supervising apprentices and how it differs from managing other colleagues. Training providers may be able to introduce managers to apprentice supervisors at other organisations.

2. Keeping apprentices on track

Ensure sufficient time away from work activities for apprentices’ study, either through full days of study or shorter chunks. It is difficult to catch up later, so review your apprenticeship provider’s progress reporting system and participate in the review meetings.

3. Providing effective feedback

Allocate time for apprentice feedback in the apprentice’s normal one-to-one or check-in schedule to ensure apprenticeship progress aligns with achieving full competence. Regular feedback helps address issues such as areas for improvement or getting progress back on track. Reviews with the apprenticeship provider are a chance for everyone to agree how things are going.

4. Allocating appropriate work

Provide structured activities before expanding the range and complexity of tasks. Discuss the apprenticeship standard with your provider to allow real-life exposure to the required competencies. Delegation from colleagues will enhance the variety of work and skills developed.

5. Finding and making the time

Make sure supervisors have time and resources to support their apprentice, especially at the beginning. Equally important is regular, constructive feedback from the supervisor but also a mentor, more experienced colleagues and perhaps a nominated ‘buddy’.

6. Understanding how the apprenticeship works

Understand the apprenticeship standard, training plan, end-point assessment and how the apprenticeship content meets your business needs. Choose activities to complement the standard by monitoring progress through the learning modules and with input from the apprentice’s coach.

7. Organisational support

Being an apprentice supervisor requires organisational support and time investment. Larger organisations should consider training and input from the training provider. In smaller organisations, advice from the apprenticeship coach and provider resources are useful.

The signs are strong that managers are delivering on the main components of effective apprentice supervision. But learning, development and improvement is as much for the manager as the managed. Ensuring a tangible return on an apprenticeship investment depends on it.

Colleges trial student exam records sharing app that could ‘save millions’

Around £30 million a year in admin costs could be saved with a new app for year 11 pupils that automatically shares their key information and exam results, ministers have claimed. 

Nearly 100,000 year 11 pupils in the Greater Manchester and the West Midlands combined authority areas will be the first to trial the app, called Education Record, this summer. 

Alongside receiving their GCSE results through the app in August, pupils can enrol for a college course or an apprenticeship with an employer without needing to bring physical copies of their qualifications or ID.

Education minister Stephen Morgan told FE Week the move will reduce burdens on school and college staff and was “just common sense” for learners moving to further education. 

“Far too often you hear about documents being saved in dusty old cabinets,” Morgan said.

“It just makes sense to have all that information in an app to make that transition to your next step. Hopefully, it will make a big difference.”

Using the app, pupils can share their information with a sixth form, college or training provider. This will then automatically share their unique learner number, date of birth, sex, address, GCSE results, school information, financial and learning support needs. 

A Department for Education press release claimed the digital record app could collectively save schools and colleges up to £30 million per year in admin costs if fully rolled out. 

Year 11 pupils at Hathershaw College school in Oldham have had access to the app since spring 2024. One pupil, who is hoping to progress to an engineering T Level at a local college this September, told FE Week the app was “a lot more efficient”.

“Now you get your results on GCSE day, and you have to keep your certificates safe for weeks and weeks. Whereas if it’s all on your phone, you know it’s going to be with the younger generation all the time anyway. So when you go to college, everything they ask for is on your phone already,” the student said.

In total, 487 schools, as well as colleges, in the Greater Manchester and West Midlands combined authorities have been invited to take part in the pilot, which runs until September. A decision about next steps will be made in the autumn. 

Morgan was cautious not to fully commit to a future rollout of the app while the pilot was underway, but said he was “really keen to learn lessons and think about how we can use AI and technology more broadly in the education system”.

School and college leaders welcomed the plans. 

The Association of Colleges (AoC) described the app as a “game-changer” for learners.

Catherine Sezen, director of education policy at the AoC, said: “Having all their personal data and exam results in on easy to access app will make enrolment so much smoother for them and for their college. Time and money currently spent on admin will allow colleges to offer even more comprehensive information advice and guidance on and after results days.”

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the app was a “positive step forward” but wanted a “much more strategic vision” for education technology, including exams. 

He said: “A digital exam system would improve matters for everyone involved and we urge the government to invest in creating the infrastructure schools and colleges need to make this a reality.”

Trio of ‘outstanding’ grades for SEND college

A specialist college that helps students with profound learning difficulties to make “life-changing progress” has been awarded its third consecutive grade 1 Ofsted rating.

Inspectors found Orchard Hill College, a SEND college with nine centres in London and surrey, was continuing to provide an ‘outstanding’ quality of education with a tailored and ambitious curriculum during a recent visit.

The college was previously handed the accolade from Ofsted in 2013 and 2019.

At its March 17 to 19 Ofsted inspection, the college had 414 learners aged 16 to 25 and 84 adult students. Most study full-time courses such as foundation skills for life, skills for work and supported internships.

The watchdog found students benefit greatly from a “meticulously planned, highly individualised and ambitious curriculum”, according to a report published this morning.

As a result, students make “excellent” progress towards their academic and personal targets and are “exceptionally well” prepared for their next steps.

“In many instances, the progress students make is life-changing,” the report said.

Kelly Phillips, executive principal at Orchard Hill College, said: “We are all extremely proud to be recognised in this way; it is a tribute to everyone.”

The report praised leaders for maintaining “high-quality” provision through significant change and challenges since the last inspection.

Inspectors were also impressed by leaders having a “comprehensive” understanding of the college’s provision and a “well-considered” approach to the college’s expansion of provision.

This was found after the college opened four new centres and introduced new programmes such as supported internships since 2019 and more than doubled student numbers in response to the demand for specialist post-16 provision.

“They increase provision only where they have sufficient expertise and capacity,” the report said.

Meanwhile, staff were praised for their “highly adept” skills and inspectors called them experts for recognising and anticipating students’ triggers. As a result, students’ behaviour was found to be “exemplary”.

Ofsted added that college teachers use effective teaching strategies for SEND learners such as clear verbal instructions and using sensory stories, visual cues and sign language.

For example, lecturers use sensory stories about the seasons to enable students on foundation skills programmes to understand the concept of the outside world.

Teachers also use assistive technology “exceptionally well” to communicate and build students’ vocabulary quickly.

The college teaches not only the students but their families as well, showing them how to use technology like virtual assistant technology so they can practise becoming more independent at home.

Aside from education provision, Ofsted inspectors commended the college’s coordination of wide range of highly specialised therapies, including speech and language, physiotherapy, nursing and positive behaviour support.

The report said the college effectively integrates the therapeutic interventions with learning activities to enable students to make “sustained positive changes to their lives”.

For example, therapists support and teach students to use a standing frame when learning how to prepare a meal.

Phillips said: “Importantly, our journey to ‘outstanding’ could not have been achieved without the unconditional commitment of our staff who work incredibly hard to help students achieve their full potential, together with our partnership approach with families, carers, and the students themselves.”

“It is an enormous privilege to support students with SEND and equip them with the skills needed in adulthood, there is an exciting future ahead, and this latest news is a celebration for the entire college community.”

Phillipson to exempt young people from level 7 apprenticeships funding axe

Ministers are set to row back on plans to remove public funding from all level 7 apprenticeships and include an exemption for young people aged 16 to 21, FE Week understands.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has written to Pat McFadden, Cabinet Office minister for intergovernmental relations, to make the “important concession” which will be applied to all apprenticeship standards at master’s level.

Her letter, seen by FE Week, said that she sought clearance from the Cabinet Office on March 3 “on the decision to remove public funding from all level 7 apprenticeships, with no exemptions”.

FE Week understands that multiple government departments rebelled against the plan and have forced Phillipson into a rethink.

Phillipson’s latest letter, dated April 23, said: “I have now agreed with other departments to proceed with an exemption for young people (who start when they are aged 16-21) across all level 7 apprenticeships. 

“An exemption for young people aligns with our opportunity mission and our intention to rebalance the apprenticeship programme to support more young people at the start of their career, as announced by the prime minister in September 2024.

“While not giving employers everything they seek, it demonstrates that government has listened to business and enables these apprenticeships to continue across all sectors where they are able to provide a route in for young people.”

‘Important concession’

Phillipson added that she hopes this “important concession enables colleagues to withdraw all conditions and support me in taking the challenging steps needed as we develop the growth and skills levy”. 

The “conditions” that the education secretary referred to are not known. 

A timeframe for when the public funding ban on level 7 apprenticeships for those aged 22 and above will begin, or when the Department for Education will officially announce the plans, is also not yet known.

Ministers have been working on controversial plans to remove level 7 apprenticeships from the scope of apprenticeship levy funding since September because the budget that the Department for Education receives from Treasury is close to going overspent, largely due to the rise in higher-level apprenticeships which are the most expensive to deliver.

The cash freed up from defunding level 7s will aid Labour’s plan to expand the apprenticeship levy into a growth and skills levy that funds a wider range of training programmes, and “rebalance” funding back to young people. Figures from 2023-24 show £238 million of the £2.5 billion apprenticeships budget was spent on level 7 programmes.

Level 7 apprenticeship starts are dominated by the accountancy or taxation professional and senior leader standards, which attract £21,000 and £14,000 respectively per apprentice. 

But other popular programmes include advanced clinical practitioner, solicitor, academic professional, chartered town planner, district nurse and community nurse specialist practitioner.

Phillipson’s letter stated that her officials will “share the communications and handling plan for the announcement of this decision with your officials, and they are happy to work with you on preparing for the announcement and on stakeholder management”.

The DfE was approached for comment.

A teaching job in FE… is this some sort of prank? 

A prank show that aims to attract professionals into FE teaching jobs has been released on social media channels after being commissioned via Channel 4. 

Three 10-minute episodes of Undercover Education have been released in the last month, featuring a bricklayer, a mechanic and a chef who give a lesson to an FE teacher posing as an adult seeking a career change. 

Sitting in another room, former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq watches and tells the FE teacher to play pranks that test the professionals’ patience and teaching skills. 

After the prank is revealed, each episode concludes with the professional reflecting on whether they would take a job in FE. 

Channel 4 said the “uplifting” series aimed to highlight the professionals’ “patience, creativity and value of their existing, real-world industry experience”. 

Prank your skills

It is part of the Department for Education’s Teach in Further Education campaign that has run since 2022. 

Previous videos included Share Your Skills last year – which featured Sky Sports News-style ads with presenter Mike Wedderburn talking to brickies who became FE lecturers. 

The Labour government has pledged to recruit an additional 6,500 teachers for schools and further education colleges by spring 2029 at the latest. 

However, a National Audit Office report this week found the DfE estimated between 8,400 and 12,400 FE teachers were needed by 2028/29 to meet a rising demographic of young people and to deliver T Levels. 

The FE sector is the worst affected type of education provider with 5.1 of every 100 teaching roles vacant in general FE colleges.

Modest success so far

Commissioned by the DfE’s workforce and communications teams since 2022, an FE Week freedom of information (FOI) request last year showed the media recruitment campaign cost £2 million in its first year, £4.1 million in 2022-23, and increased again to £5.1 million for both 2023-24 and 2024-25. 

FE Week asked the DfE how much it had budgeted this year, but did not receive a response at the time of publication. 

In response to the FOI request, the DfE shared data that suggested its campaigns had proved a modest success. 

Attitudinal research of the campaign’s target audience – adults between 35 and 65 years old with two years’ experience in priority sectors such as engineering, manufacturing or construction – suggests the proportion of people considering a job in FE rose slightly from 21 percent in 2021-22 to 25 per cent in 2023-24. 

However, the target audience’s understanding of FE teaching only rose by 1 percentage point to 24 per cent over that period. 

The Teach in Further Education website’s visitor sessions more than tripled from 134,000 in 2021-22 to 457,000 in 2023-24. 

In the first two years, unique page views hovered around 500,000 annually, while visits to the website’s job boards section shot up from 32,000 in 2021-22 to 190,000 in 2022-23, before dropping to 124,000 in 2023-24.