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‘apprenticeships’

Policy makers might call it an unintended consequence, but I call it a scandal

This week the Treasury confirmed that the apprenticeship fee – known as co-investment – will halve from 10 to 5 per cent from the start of April. Or to put it another way, the public subsidy for apprenticeships running at an average cost of £9,000 (according to the National Audit Office) will rise from 90 per cent (£8,100) to 95 per cent (£8,550). I was quick to […]

Opinion

Ofsted slams civil service apprentices scheme for inappropriate management courses

A provider that trains civil servants has been slammed by Ofsted for putting science graduates on apprenticeships that are a rebadge of its old commercial management courses – with no thought for if they need the training. The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited (TBP), which teaches 32 apprentices employed at the government-owned National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), […]

News

Damning Ofsted visit finds provider not knowing who its apprentices are

A training provider has been heavily criticised for not knowing accurately enough who their apprentices are, in an Ofsted monitoring report which rated it ‘insufficient’ across the board. Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was today accused of failing to understand what constitutes a “high quality apprenticeship programme”. Ofsted found that managers are “unable to provide […]

News

Apprenticeship framework certification boss steps down with immediate effect

The managing director of the Federation of Industry Sector Skills and Standards (FISSS) has stepped down with immediate effect, FE Week can reveal. Mark Froud has left the federation, which represents the 21 sector skills councils across England, after six years at the helm. In an email seen by FE Week, the FISSS independent chair […]

News

Ofqual rules out tendering to take over apprenticeship quality assurance

Ofqual has ruled itself out of delivering the apprenticeship external quality assurance service for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Sally Collier, the chief executive of the exams regulator, told the Commons education committee during an accountability hearing this morning that her organisation would like to expand its role in monitoring apprenticeship end-point assessment […]

News

DfE department responsible for apprenticeship policy has hardly any apprentices

The division responsible for running and promoting apprenticeships within the Department for Education employs the lowest proportion of apprentices across the whole department. Of the 519 people working within the DfE’s Higher and Further Education office, fewer than 10, which is less than 1 per cent, are apprentices. It is not clear the exact number […]

News

ESFA audits to check apprenticeship price reductions made to account for prior work experience

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has reminded providers to conduct prior learning assessments when taking on apprentices, and warned they will be audited to ensure price reductions are being made. New guidance on the rule was published today, and follows the launch of a tender by the agency in February to find a researcher […]

News

FE Commissioner pushing for mega merger to secure Cornwall College’s future

The FE Commissioner is pushing for a mega merger in Cornwall to secure the future of Cornwall College, which is currently surviving on government bailouts. FE Week exclusively revealed the existence of a mysterious and confidential review of further education in Cornwall back in November, after it was requested by Cornwall Council. It put pressure […]

News

Apprenticeships should be high-quality vocational pipelines to prosperity

National Apprenticeship Week gives us an opportunity to consider where our system is going wrong and to devise an ambitious plan to combat in-work poverty, says Andy Norman There remains fundamental confusion as to what apprenticeships are and who they should be for. Within the context of rising in-work poverty alongside persistent skills shortages, we […]

Opinion