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Profile
Averil Young, senior lecturer and union rep

It’s time to say auf wiedersehen to the old image of construction

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All Features

Long read
Investigation

Attending to the problem

Exclusive data reveals student absenteeism has got worse across further education since the Covid lockdowns – but colleges are…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Long read
Profile

A new hope for UTCs

Despite being written off as a failure by Michael Gove, Baker Dearing CEO Kate Ambrosi believes university technical colleges…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Apprenticeships, Long read
Long read

Lessons from our apprentices

The Association of Apprentices convened a roundtable for apprentices to tell us about their training and views on current…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Colleges, Long read
Investigation

Searching for a hire power

High vacancy rates continue to blight FE, with courses scrapped and agency costs soaring. We examine teacher recruitment problems…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Long read
Investigation

Esports in colleges: is rapid growth in provision fair game for criticism?

More than 100 FE colleges in England now offer esports courses, but homegrown job vacancies in the industry are…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Long read, Skills reform
Long read

Unions could strike back with post-Tory learning fund revival

Gavin Williamson blitzed it but government-backed union training could return under a new guise now Labour holds power. By…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Colleges, Long read

Hullraisers taking college from underdog to top dog

Principal Debra Gray built a team that pulled Hull College out of intervention – and now draws on city…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Apprenticeships, Long read
Investigation

Gripped by fear of a special needs cash clawback

Most apprenticeship providers don’t claim apprentice support funding due to complexity and worries a mistake could wreck their finances,…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Long read
Investigation

Crisis in schools creates a NEET problem for FE to solve

Jessica Hill examines the triggers and FE solutions as worsening school absenteeism piles pressure on colleges to provide lower- level post-16 courses

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Apprenticeships, Long read
Long read

Solicitor apprenticeships on trial: can they survive level 7 cash cull?

As the government rethinking funding for level 7 apprenticeships, Jessica Hill cross-examines the promise of solicitor apprenticeships: are they…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Apprenticeships, Long read
Long read

Why learning from neighbours could guide our apprenticeship reforms

Reforms are coming to the apprenticeship system in England and the Labour government has been showered with suggestions about…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Long read, Skills England
Long read

Can Skills England really fix our broken skills system?

Labour quango Skills England has a mission to boost growth by fixing skills gaps, but how can it swerve the…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill