Opinion

Making the skills market work should be our priority – not ending it

The levy system is a long way from perfect – but the principles that lie behind it, in terms…

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

How to improve apprenticeship completion rates

Apprentices need to understand why completion is so important, and this needs to be led from the top, says…

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

UTCs should be allowed to recruit at 11

To circumvent the problem of recruitment at 14, LSEC is setting up a vocational free school – a UTC…

Sam Parrett
Sam Parrett
Opinion

Too much flexibility, not enough foresight

Decades of policy turbulence have left a sector that is resilient but not necessarily forward-looking, and this needs to…

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

Conservatives are lying about 3m apprenticeships for young people

The Conservative manifesto has repeated the pledge from 2015 to “deliver our commitment to create 3 million apprenticeships for…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
Opinion

What will replace the European Social Fund?

After Brexit, the government must replace the £500 million provided every year by the European Social Fund for people…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen


Opinion

I’ll give FE learners a louder voice nationally

Writing exclusively for FE Week, Shakira Martin, the new president-elect of the NUS discusses her ambitious plans to represent…

Shakira Martin
Shakira Martin
Opinion

Are the party pledges for FE meaningless?

Both Labour and the Lib Dems have made some pre-manifesto pledges on further education, but these should all be…

Gemma Gathercole
Gemma Gathercole
Opinion

ESFA need to fess up to their ‘mistake’

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has dug itself a huge hole. Incredibly, it’s still digging. As readers will…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
Opinion

A further education manifesto for 2017

As political parties scramble to write their manifestos, carefully crafting their words to minimise the number of broken promises…

Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor
Opinion

3 ways to support apprentices’ mental health

Apprentices need help getting the right mental health support in place to give them the best chance of retaining…

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

Cuts to apprenticeship providers will end in disaster

The goverment’s determination not to open up any more lines of funding for our incredibly hard-pressed providers is a…

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor