2025 review: A defining year for further education and skills

2025 review: A defining year for further education and skills

FE Week editor Shane Chowen looks back at a year of reform, rhetoric and reckoning for further education

Opinion

Tim Dalton

A volunteer-led approach could break the resit failure cycle

Hassan Ahmed

I was NEET for 2 years. Developing soft skills saved my future

News

New peer and former City and Guilds chair admits wrongly claiming PhD

Ofsted

Ofsted enacts ‘contingency plan’ as inspection notes software glitches again

Colleges

College pulls statement about its future after failing to get DfE sign off

Training Providers

Brenda McLeish quits Learning Curve Group

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Bett UK 2026: Learning without limits

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Confidence, curiosity, and connection: How colleges are building learners for life

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News

Sixth form college teacher banned for life over sexual messages to student

Colleges

FE Commissioner: ‘I never intended to force college mergers – but bigger groups have thrived’

Colleges

UK to rejoin Erasmus in 2027

Apprenticeships

Revealed: First 93 apprenticeships chosen for assessment reform

NEETs

Milburn’s panel of experts named for rising NEETs review

Colleges

Criminal probe into ‘unlawful’ sale of City College Peterborough campus

News

New peer and former City and Guilds chair admits wrongly claiming PhD

Ofsted

Ofsted enacts ‘contingency plan’ as inspection notes software glitches again

Colleges

College pulls statement about its future after failing to get DfE sign off

Training Providers

Brenda McLeish quits Learning Curve Group

Sponsored post

Bett UK 2026: Learning without limits

Sponsored post

Confidence, curiosity, and connection: How colleges are building learners for life

1mo

News

Sixth form college teacher banned for life over sexual messages to student

Colleges

FE Commissioner: ‘I never intended to force college mergers – but bigger groups have thrived’

Colleges

UK to rejoin Erasmus in 2027

Latest Opinion

Colleges

A volunteer-led approach could break the resit failure cycle

The new 100-hour rule for English and maths may increase teaching time, but without personalised support, it won’t shift…

Jessica Hill

Tim Dalton

Apprenticeships

I was NEET for 2 years. Developing soft skills saved my future

My journey from automated rejections to an RSC apprenticeship shows why soft-skills programmes aren’t a ‘nice to have’, they’re…

Jessica Hill

Hassan Ahmed

Mental Health

There’s widening participation, but narrowing mental health support

More disadvantaged learners are entering FE and HE, but stretched services mean many can’t access the help they need

Jessica Hill

Imran Mir

NEETs

The NEET crisis won’t be solved by fashionable theories

Billions in piecemeal initiatives won’t reverse youth inactivity, and claims of ‘deficit thinking’ risk obscuring what’s actually happening. Only…

Jessica Hill

Alun Francis

Colleges

The AI governor is in the boardroom

AI offers clarity, speed and strategic insight, but only if boards are brave enough to evolve. The augmented governor…

Jessica Hill

Perry Perrott

Governance

Chair of governors’ journey is as perilous as a motorbike ride

Leading a college governance team presents dangers every bit as daunting as a pool of oil in the road…

Jessica Hill

Michael Davis

Colleges

How a £25m crisis and intervention forced us to rebuild – and made Brooklands stronger

Six years under FE Commissioner intervention pushed our college to the brink. But the debt, disruption and scrutiny forged…

Jessica Hill

Christine Ricketts

Colleges

When you look, suicide dangers are everywhere in our colleges

Given the numbers of students who take their own lives, we must seek answers to the crisis unfolding across…

Jessica Hill

David Murray

From our partners

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Bett UK 2026: Learning without limits

Education is humanity’s greatest promise and our most urgent mission.

Tyler Palmer

BETT Show 2026

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Confidence, curiosity, and connection: How colleges are building learners for life

Acting as the bridge between school and adulthood for many young people, colleges play a powerful role in shaping…

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Pearson

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A Decade of Impact: Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards Celebrate 10 Years of Inspiring Change at Landmark London Event

Friday 7th November 2025 – Over 700 guests gathered at the Hilton London Metropole for the 10th annual Multicultural…

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Pearson

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EPA reform: changes inevitable, but not unfamiliar

Change is coming and, as always with FE, it’s seemingly inevitable. I’ve spent over 20 years working in the sector….

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2mo

NCFE

2mo

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Funding Is Flowing, Demand Is Rising — It’s Time for FE to Deliver on Green Skills

As the UK races toward net zero, the government says it wants to back 2 million green jobs by…

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Sabre Rigs

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Helping every learner use AI responsibly

AI didn’t wait to be invited into the classroom. It burst in mid-lesson. Across UK colleges, learners are already…

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2mo

Pearson

2mo

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Supporting the UK’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan Through Skills

The UK Government’s Decarbonising Transport: A Better, Greener Britain strategy sets a legally binding path towards a net-zero transport…

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3mo

Sabre Rigs

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Project power: ASDAN expands its qualifications portfolio

From 2026, ASDAN’s planned Foundation and Higher Project Qualifications will sit alongside its Extended Project Qualification[CM1] , creating a complete…

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ASDAN

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Long read

SEND first class: How groundbreaking partnership are rethinking SEND support

The Sutton Life Centre is one of several partnerships between colleges and external partners, where SEND learners are prepared…

Profile

Latest Profile

Profile

Liam Sloan, Bolton College CEO

I’m driving change, because ‘quite good’ is ‘not good enough’

The latest sector transfers

Movers and Shakers

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 517

Diana Bird Executive Principal, Leeds City College Start date: Spring 2026 Previous Job: Principal and CEO, Shipley College Interesting…

FE Week Reporter

Movers and Shakers

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 516

Jo Kershaw Deputy Principal – Quality & Student Experience, The Sheffield College Start date: November 2025 Previous Job: Vice…

FE Week Reporter

Movers and Shakers

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 514

Natalie Perera Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer, AQA Start date: February 2026 Previous Job: CEO, Education Policy Institute…

FE Week Reporter

Movers and Shakers

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 515

Kate Shoesmith Director of Policy and Insights, British Chamber of Commerce Start date: December 2025 Previous job: Deputy CEO,…

FE Week Reporter

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Opinion

A volunteer-led approach could break the resit failure cycle

I was NEET for 2 years. Developing soft skills saved my future

Latest Opinion

From our partners

Latest Profile

The latest sector transfers

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