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‘apprenticeships’

Government figures show 16 to 18 apprenticeships down nearly 15,000 in a year

Figures published this morning show a 12 per cent (14,600) fall in 16-18 apprenticeship starts, and a one per cent (7,400) fall across all ages. The first set of figures below compare the full year provisional 2012/13 apprenticeship starts with the same report from the previous year. The second set of figures compare the full year […]

News

SFA lifts blanket ban on new Elmfield learners after minister orders Ofsted revisit

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has lifted its blanket ban on new learners at Elmfield Training after an early Ofsted revisit ordered by Skills Minister Matthew Hancock resulted in a positive report. The SFA will now assess any request from Elmfield to start apprentices with, for instance, current client Barclays Bank on a “case-by-case basis”. […]

News

It’s farewell to Marsden as Hunt rises to the top in Labour reshuffle

Former Shadow Skills Minister Gordon Marsden (Pictured at FE Week HQ for a roundtable on FE loans)  has paid tribute to his old FE sector stomping ground, describing it as his “passion”. Mr Marsden, who has joined the shadow team for transport following last week’s ministerial reshuffle, said his new position would be “an interesting […]

News

Ex-Dragon Theo gets Skills Show countdown under way

The final countdown to The Skills Show 2013 was officially marked at one of London’s most iconic landmarks — St Mary’s Axe, more widely known as The Gherkin. last Tuesday (8 October). Skills Minister Matthew Hancock and former Dragons’ Den investor Theo Paphitis launched the show countdown with a call to ‘inspire a new generation […]

Uncategorized

What happens when the money runs out?

With allegations of shoddy practice, revelations of low pay and little training for apprentices, along with concerns about limited government cash being spent on ‘leisure’ courses, Ian Nash questions whether the FE and skills sector has moved on at all in the last 20 years. he National Audit Office (NAO) review of the Education Funding […]

Opinion

Much talk of reform, but plenty left unsaid in conference season

Further education featured prominently among the policy proposals outlined by the three main political parties at the recent conferences. However, Lynne Sedgmore believes nothing was said on a number of key sector issues. The annual conference season has come to an end and aspects of FE featured strongly on their agendas. We heard about free […]

Opinion

Unemployment ‘should not be an option’ for 18 to 24s

Learning for Life is the Liberal Democrats’ policy paper for education and skills. Lady Brinton explains some of its key points. The Liberal Democrats believe education and skills are critical for both individual opportunity and the overall economic performance of the country. Our new policy on this, which was recently passed at our conference, confirms […]

Opinion

Ofsted finds significant prison shortfalls

Ofsted FE and skills director Matthew Coffey has delivered a damning verdict on prison education and training in England and Wales. In a speech on Thursday at London’s Wormwood Scrubs prison he pointed out how 65 per cent of the 78 prisons inspected since 2009 had failed to achieve at least a good grading. “None […]

News

Minister attacks FE for allowing learners to ‘give up’

Further education leaders have lined up to defend the sector after Liberal Democrat Schools Minister David Laws claimed new figures “exposed” colleges for allowing learners to “give up” maths and English. Figures published for the first time by the Department for Education (DfE) show almost three-quarters of school students who achieved an English GCSE grade […]

News