York College
‘apprenticeships’
The number of apprenticeships lasting less than a year has fallen “dramatically” after they were outlawed over fears about the quality of short-term programmes. They fell from 43 per cent (224,000) of the total number of apprenticeship starts in 2011/12, to just 8 per cent (28,000) for the first nine months of the academic year. The figures […]
News
The number of young people out of work has risen despite the overall unemployment rate remaining the same in the last quarter, government figures have revealed. The number of unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds went up 15,000 between April and July, from 958,000 to 973,000. However, the figure is considerably down on the same period last […]
Just 24 apprentices have applied for 24+ Advanced Learning Loans since the scheme was launched prompting a sector head to call for “concerted action to ensure that adults are not missing out”. Dr Fiona Aldridge, head of learning for work at the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, spoke out as the Department for Business, […]
With more than £850m-worth of subcontracting last academic year, Mick Fletcher looks at whether such delivery is something to be concerned about. Some parts of FE can be awfully hard to explain to anyone outside the system or even to many of those inside who see their main role as teaching. Indeed, some aspects are […]
Opinion
Lead providers took on nearly £300m of subcontracted provision last academic year, Skills Funding Agency (SFA) figures have revealed. More than 1,600 subcontracting agreements, totaling £283m of funding, were in place between providers who already held their own direct contracts with the SFA. It is the first time that the extent of inter-lead subcontracting has […]
With the government looking at new funding models for apprenticeships, Suzy Gunn explains why questions of practicality and accessibility must be considered. While most people agree solving the UK’s growing professional skills gap should be a major priority in the country’s return to healthy economic growth, exactly how this should be done is less clear. […]
A new principal has been appointed at City College Coventry just months after its disastrous inspection report. Former City of Wolverhampton College interim principal John Hogg has taken over at Coventry where he has begun a series of meetings with staff and students and is developing an improvement plan. “The college has a lot to offer, […]
The Skills Funding Agency has announced rates from £500 to £900 for work placements in the government’s new traineeship programme. Agency officials laid out payment bands of 100 to 199 hours; 200 to 499 hours; and, 500 hours-plus in a sector webinar on Monday (see slides below). They said the bands would mean training providers […]
Government funding budgets for training at major UK firms has been slashed, new figures have shown. Firms such as British Gas, BT and McDonalds all under-delivered on the training they had been expected to deliver, according to the latest quarterly allocation figures from the Skills Funding Agency. British Gas had its 16 to 18 apprenticeship […]
