Opinion

The transition to our new normal will not be straightforward

From next Monday, colleges and providers will have the flexibility to offer more students face-to-face learning, explains Gillian Keegan…

Billy Camden
GILLIAN KEEGAN
Opinion

FE has a pivotal role over the next two years (and there is no time to lose)

The sector must be allowed to respond to demands from existing and new students, many of them disadvantaged, says…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
JUSTINE GREENING
Opinion

The prime minister’s ‘apprenticeship guarantee’: over-optimistic or visionary?

Two regular commentators on vocational education policy who now work at the same consultancy firm take opposing sides over…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
John Cope & Jonathan Simons
Opinion

Did the Prime Minister promise an ‘apprenticeship guarantee’? This is why it is needed post Covid-19

Prime minister Boris Johnson last night told the nation that young people “should be guaranteed an apprenticeship” as part…

Billy Camden
ROBERT HALFON
Opinion

Why a ‘right to retrain’ is essential for an inclusive recovery

The outbreak of coronavirus will permanently change the shape of our economy. In adapting to this change, we must…

Simon Kay
ANDY NORMAN
Opinion

Providers are taking the blame for a broken apprenticeships system

The government’s numbers on apprenticeships don’t add up. Worse still, they lead to blaming the wrong people and make…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
JOHN HYDE


Opinion

In a time of uncertainty, here are some predictions for the sector

The skills system has done an amazing job during the corona crisis and will be critical as the UK…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
DAVID MARSH
Opinion

It’s hard to argue that further college rationalisation isn’t needed

Rationalisation needs to reconcile three very different types of college – and the grey areas in between, says John…

Simon Kay
JOHN COPE
Opinion

Former adviser to skills minister calls for temporary ban on new adult apprentices

The response to the pandemic recession must centre on supporting those who are finishing their education and those who…

Simon Kay
TOM RICHMOND
Opinion

Necessity breeds invention, and grade assessment has had to adapt quickly

This crisis has shown how well we can make transitions in order to protect students’ interests, says Julie Mizon…

Simon Kay
JULIE MIZON
Opinion

The can has been shaken, so we must proceed with caution

Re-opening campus is a high-risk, high-stress, physical and emotional challenge, says Stuart Rimmer. Here are some guiding principles to…

Simon Kay
Stuart Rimmer
Opinion

Why take on an apprentice during these challenging times? Here’s why

If businesses in the hardest-hit sectors are to thrive post-lockdown, new skills and new ways of working will be…

Simon Kay
STUART SHIELD