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Lack of levy funding for small employers debated in Parliament

A chair of a leading small business lobbying organisation has thrown cold water on hopes of a boost for non-levy apprenticeships in next month’s budget. Anthony Impey, who chairs the the federation’s skills and apprenticeships national policy group, told a debate in Parliament on Tuesday that he did not think the government would pay a […]

News

Perverse incentives and tangled pathways

If the new government is serious about its proposals, it must address the many problems with the levy, plus the accessibility of courses for those outside towns and cities, writes Emma Hardy Apprenticeships should be the perfect vehicle for meeting the challenges of social mobility, bridging the skills gap and raising productivity. However, the government’s […]

Opinion

Beating Germany needs more than quick fixes

The Secretary of State’s Conservative Party conference speech unveiled an ambition to overtake Germany by 2029 in the technical and vocational education opportunities we offer.  His objective is laudable, but what does it mean, and is it achievable? The first thing to note is that we have been here before.  Since at least the 1880s […]

Opinion

Wake up call to reverse cuts in lifelong learning

For more than twenty years Learning and Work Institute has been surveying adults to ask if they are taking part in learning. Never has the figure been lower. Just 35% of adults are taking part in learning or have recently done so. Given that our definition of learning is a deliberately broad one – not […]

Opinion

Former Dragon hits out at IfATE over cut to level 3 and 4 standards

The chair of major high-street employer Ryman, ex-Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis, has accused the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education of “damaging” apprenticeship quality. This follows IfATE’s decision to cut funding to the level 3 retail team leader and the level 4 retail manager standards, from £5,000 to £4,000 and £6,000 to £5,000 respectively. […]

News

Colleges will put learners on inappropriate courses without funding increase, warns Ofsted boss

Colleges are likely to increase the amount of courses that “attract the most learners” but which don’t offer “real long-term life prospects” if funding isn’t increased, Ofsted chief inspector has warned. Amanda Spielman appeared before MPs on the public accounts committee this afternoon, during which she was asked about the impact of cuts of the […]

News

Barring learners with fewer than three Ds ‘access to student loans’ is ‘retrograde step’

Proposals to deny student loans to learners who achieve fewer than three Ds in their A-levels have been branded a “retrograde step” by school and college leaders. The Sunday Times reported yesterday that the ongoing independent review of higher education, chaired by former investment banker Philip Augar, will recommend proposals to shake-up the university sector. […]

News

Education secretary disagrees with Ofsted and not blaming colleges for ‘false hope’ job prospects

Damian Hinds has said he would “not blame colleges at all” in the way that Amanda Spielman did for putting students on courses such as arts and media which have slim job prospects. The chief inspector told the Association of Colleges conference last month that there is a “mismatch” between the numbers of students taking […]

News

Milton DOES want collaboration between colleges and private providers, DfE confirms

The government has confirmed that the skills minister wants collaboration, not competition, between colleges and private providers. Eyebrows were raised on Friday when the Department for Education published Anne Milton’s speech from the Association of Colleges conference, as it claimed it was “exactly as delivered” but contradicted what she actually told delegates. “There is the […]

News