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Javid refuses to rule out college closures in wake of cuts during grilling from MPs

New Business Secretary Sajid Javid has refused to rule out college closures as a result of adult skills budget cuts. Mr Javid chose to criticise Labour’s economic record instead of guaranteeing the future of FE college when he was grilled by Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna during business questions in the House of Commons this […]

News

‘Resource FE colleges properly to deliver higher level technical skills’

Responding to Lady Alison Wolf’s report — Heading for the precipice: can further and higher education funding policies be sustained? — Anne Constantine says skills policy is on a roller-coaster ride and calls for the government to resource FE colleges properly to deliver higher level technical skills. Alison Wolf is a highly respected academic and […]

Opinion

FE cuts petition signed by 42,500 handed over to 10 Downing Street

Sector leaders have this morning handed in a petition to Number 10 Downing Street that was signed by more than 42,500 opposed to “unfair” and “harmful” FE cuts. Sally Hunt, University and College Union (UCU) general secretary, and Martin Doel, chief executive of the Association of Colleges (AoC), were among a group of senior figures […]

News

In defence of Functional Skills

Jonathan Wells makes the case for the end of preferential government treatment for GCSEs over Functional Skills Functional Skills (FS) are not the ‘easy option’, they are much more rigorous than GCSEs when it comes to application of skills, pass marks are significantly higher and the focus is on the application of basic skills in […]

Opinion

Boles justifies apprenticeships favour

Skills Minister Nick Boles has justified the government’s emphasis on apprenticeships at the cost of adult education by pointing to research showing the programme had a 43 per cent greater return on public investment. Speaking on day one of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers annual conference [click here for the FE Week supplement] […]

News

What’s in a name? What’s in an apprenticeship?

The government announced its first measures aimed at helping it achieve the target of 3m apprenticeship starts by the end of this Parliament. David Harbourne assesses the measures, including the provision for legal protection of the ‘apprenticeship’ term. When the government announced that the word ‘apprenticeship’ is to be legally protected, I had an odd […]

Opinion

Vet in the Netherlands — an inspiration for England?

Skills Minister Nick Boles told MPs this month the Dutch system of vocational education and training might be a model for England. Jeroen Onstenk outlines the Dutch system and considers whether Mr Boles might be onto something. Vocational education and training (Vet) in the Netherlands is primarily part of the education system, rather than the […]

Opinion

Bailey ‘disappointed’ to lose BIS committee chair as Wright wrestles away post in second MPs’ vote

Adrian Bailey has told his “disappointment” at losing the chair of the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Select Committee after Iain Wright wrestled the position away in a second round of MPs’ voting. West Bromwich West MP Mr Bailey held the position for the last Parliament, leading inquiries into apprenticeships and adult numeracy and literacy […]

News

FE funding cuts protest taken to Parliament as college lecturers tell MPs how classrooms are being hit — and learners suffer

Hundreds of staff and students from FE colleges descended on Parliament yesterday as part of an FE Week-backed campaign against funding cuts to adult education. The lobby event, organised by the University and College Union (UCU), gave FE staff the chance to explain directly to their MPs the impact the reduction in the adult skills […]

News