York College
‘Jobs’
Urgent government action is required after FE loans caused a “collapse” in the number of older people taking level three and four courses, the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (Niace) has claimed. Latest figures released this week by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) showed there were 15,330 applications in September for […]
News
Two new deputy principals have been appointed at opposite ends of the country. Chris Toon has taken up post at Gateshead College, while Jacqueline Grubb has done the same at Basingstoke College of Technology (BCot). Mr Toon, who had spent the previous two years at Liverpool’s Knowsley Community College, has more than 15 years’ experience […]
Movers and Shakers
The number of under-performing colleges and apprenticeship training providers should be halved by 2020, the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission has said. In its second State of the Nation report, the Commission, which is chaired by former Labour Cabinet Minister Alan Milburn (above), set out its “2020 challenge”, in which it sets out a […]
Niace is calling for adults to have an entitlement to career reviews, not just in mid-life but at other points in their lives, including returning to work from maternity leave, long-term sick leave and caring responsibilities. David Hughes explains why. Why, when most of us will now work for 50 or more years, do we […]
Opinion
Skills Minister Nick Boles has admitted to being “nervous” about proposed employer cash contributions towards apprenticeship training costs. Addressing the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) autumn conference in Birmingham last week, Mr Boles acknowledged employers already contributed to their apprenticeship programmes in “a million ways”. And he said he was still considering whether […]
The results of the final Institute for Learning (IfL) survey of teachers and trainers in FE and skills are presented by Shane Chowen, IfL policy officer (communications and research). It has been a privilege to work for FE teachers and trainers as the IfL’s policy officer for the last three years. My policy colleague Rachel Cooke […]
The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and subcontractor EQL Solutions have revealed plans to support apprentices left unemployed after Phones 4u went into administration. The Staffordshire-based mobile phone retailer was placed into the hands of administrators PwC on September 15 after network operator EE joined Vodafone in cutting ties with the retailer. The firm employed around […]
Apprentices’ pay could rise by almost 40 per cent if a plan by Business Secretary Vince Cable is approved. Dr Cable has announced his recommendation to the Low Pay Commission (LPC) that the minimum wage for first year apprentices should rise to £3.79 per hour — the same level as the current rate for 16 […]
I introduced myself on the FE Week website as the new FE Insider last month as having a real passion for nurturing young talent and then I overheard David Cameron during Party Conference season speaking on the Marr Show toward the end of last month. And he ironically marred all of my aspirations for all […]
