Opinion

A plea for cuts caution after unannounced qualifications cull

Vocational education seems to be viewed as a soft option for public funding cuts, but it’s a view that…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Opinion

Skill shortages may not be what they seem

The employer skills survey pointed out, in general, how skills shortages were threatening to undermine any economic recovery. Mick…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Opinion

Are rural business communities being let down in the training stakes?

Employers in big town and city locations make an attractive proposition for young workers and providers who, claims Salena…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Opinion

Building a skilled construction workforce between the gaps

While the building trade is a big employer of apprentices, the wider construction industry suffers skills gaps elsewhere. But…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Opinion

Lessons from experience in delivering education for imprisoned young learners

With the government having announced plans for secure colleges for young offenders, Paul Phillips uses his experience of delivering…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Opinion

Taking a leaf out of Bridgwater’s nuclear skills delivery book

With Skills Minister Matthew Hancock having announced plans for a nuclear college, Mike Robbins looks at whether he should…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter


Opinion

Toughness vs training — the tools of the teaching trade

Former House of Commons Education Select Committee specialist  Ben Nicholls is head of policy and communications at London’s Newham…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Opinion

Skills shortage presents urgent opportunities for FE sector

The Employer Skills Survey has thrown up some interesting statistics about the state of the UK economy and its…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Opinion

Keeping the pressure on homophobia in a time of funding constraints

Pressure group Stonewall’s annual list of the top 100 lesbian, gay and bisexual-friendly employers included just three FE and…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Opinion

Securing education for young offenders — learning first, detention second

The education of young offenders looks set to improve drastically with the government’s announcement of Secure Colleges, where the…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Opinion

No letting up on England’s poor adult literacy and numeracy

Adult literacy and numeracy levels in England came out badly under the scrutiny of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Opinion

Keeping the apprenticeship wage up to date in the workplace — and online

It took the National Apprenticeship Service, and the overarching Skills Funding Agency, three months to act over a 3p…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter