Opinion

The Skills Bill: inadequate to deal with years of neglect and a pandemic

This Skills Bill reveals an approach that remains inadequate to tackle the scale of the skills challenges we face…

Jess Staufenberg
Toby Perkins
Opinion

The Skills Bill is not about taking back control of colleges

Instances of serious failure are rare and the government wants to reduce interventions with the Skills Bill, writes Gillian…

Jess Staufenberg
Gillian Keegan
Opinion

New powers in Skills Bill point to radical loss of autonomy for colleges

Government is taking more control but the Skills Bill will only be a success if young people are kept…

Jess Staufenberg
Angela Donkin
Opinion

Let’s embed education for sustainable development (ESD) in teaching and training

To have a hope of meeting the government’s green goals, education for sustainable development needs to be embedded in…

Jess Staufenberg
Charlotte Bonner
Apprenticeships

It’s true – entry requirements for apprenticeships risks closing doors

Some learners barred from apprenticeships are ending up on college courses for three years, write Stephanie Thomson and Lorna…

Jess Staufenberg
Stephanie Thomson and Lorna Unwin
Opinion

Apprenticeship levy funding: the truth is out there

A major problem for apprenticeship levy watchers and commentators is that the government not only refuses to share spending…

Fraser Whieldon
Nick Linford


Opinion

The Queen’s Speech is welcome – but passing legislation is only the first step

Following the Queen’s Speech, there are a number of issues to keep an eye on when the Skills Bill…

Jess Staufenberg
Aveek Bhattacharya
Opinion

T-levels: Raising awareness in parliament will be vital to their success

A deeper understanding of T Levels by MPs will be crucial, writes Damian Hinds Giving young people the best…

Jess Staufenberg
Damian Hinds
Opinion

Use Ofsted and ESFA to slow apprenticeship provider growth if things are going wrong

Restrict the funding new apprenticeship providers can initially access and use recognised milestones to help prevent failure, writes Jane…

Jess Staufenberg
Jane Hickie
Opinion

Open conversations about sexual harassment can tackle victim blaming

Taking a restorative approach so learners can say what they really think about sexual harassment is a powerful starting…

Jess Staufenberg
Tif Ward
Opinion

Three ways to replace in-work careers experience for your students

Virtual reality technology and collaborative projects can keep students switched on to careers, writes David Chapman It’s no wonder…

Jess Staufenberg
David Chapman
Opinion

Mainstream colleges can be daunted by the prospect of supporting blind students

Childhood vision impairment is very rare, so colleges are often inexperienced in best practice around supporting blind students, writes…

Jess Staufenberg
Caireen Sutherland