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‘apprenticeships’

Get set, it’s time for The Skills Show

The LG Arena in Birmingham will host a glittering ceremony on Wednesday night to mark the start of the first Skills Show. Hundreds of the UK’s most talented young people will have spent the weekend cramming in a vital last bit of practice before their skills are put to the test in their bid to […]

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Apprenticeships: hats off to the stubborn geeks

If you relied on mainstream press and broadcasting media, you’d be forgiven for thinking that apprenticeships were something from the past, says Professor John Field What a mess we’ve made of apprentice- ships. The Select Committee on Business, Industry and Skills found that a sizeable minority of apprentices receive no training whatsoever; the system is […]

Opinion

Action needed for workforce skills goals

Eleven months down the line and plenty to be done on apprenticeships, says the chair of the BIS Committee, Adrian Bailey  It is fair to say that the past few years have been turbulent for everyone, especially businesses, employees and young people. It is perhaps timely, then, that in the month when some green shoots […]

Opinion

Former Saturday girl wins top award

The North West Intermediate apprentice of the year title has gone to a 19-year-old student team leader. Bury College’s Emily Cooper was presented with the prize at the National Training and National Apprenticeship Awards 2012, held at Legends, Bentley Motors Ltd, Crewe. Emily is completing her apprenticeship through a local employer, Emerson’s Cafe, and Bury […]

Bulletin

Report casts shadow on apprentices

Careers guidance should be boosting apprenticeships, says shadow minister Gordon Marsden  The BIS Select Committee has provided a detailed and disturbing commentary of this government’s handling of apprenticeships and highlighted a number of persistent shortcomings. The committee came down hard on the government for lacking a coherent over-arching strategy for apprenticeships as well as highlighting […]

Opinion

Fears over conflict of interest

The qualifications watchdog is “developing its thinking” on whether providers of apprenticeships should also be awarding bodies after a government report criticised the practice. An Ofqual spokesperson said it was looking at “potential conflicts of interest and will be saying more about our thinking in due course”.  “We do not believe it is desirable for […]

News

Exclusive interview with BIS committee’s chair

With the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee report highlighting a number of apprenticeship issues, FE Week deputy editor Chris Henwood met chairman Adrian Bailey MP to discuss where he thinks the government is getting it wrong. Are you critical of the government’s aims on apprenticeships? The government has interpreted this programme as being a […]

News

Provider network event: An inspector calls time on lack of CIF preparation

Ofsted’s new common inspection framework came under the spotlight when providers met for an expert guidance session led by inspector of more than 10 years’ experience Megan Whittaker. Around 35 representatives from a range of providers, including colleges and subcontractors, were at the conference entitled Preparing for Inspection with the new Common Inspection Framework. The […]

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Lessons from inspection pilots

The real college was judged says Principal Richard Atkins, not one that had spent three weeks preparing.  We were keen to get a health check from Ofsted. Exeter College had last been inspected in 2008 and rated as good, but we had received a Notice to Improve (NtI) for learner success rates. Having reacted quickly […]

Opinion