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‘ofqual’

Government agency in quick search for ‘interim’ arrangements to avoid gap in apprenticeship quality assurance

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has been forced into hastily finding “interim” arrangements for its apprenticeship external quality assurance service for April. Open Awards has held the contract to monitor end-point assessment organisations on the institute’s behalf since August 2017, but this deal comes to an end in March.  A procurement was […]

News

Government agency to charge for apprenticeship quality assurance

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is to start charging for its apprenticeship external quality assurance service. News of the move comes just days after FE Week revealed the “ridiculous variability” in approved external quality assurance charges, which were criticised by sector leaders for ranging from a free service to £179 per apprentice. The […]

News

T-levels timescale still ‘worryingly tight’, IfA boss says ahead of technical education takeover

The boss of the organisation that will assume powers for T-levels this week has said the delivery timeline is still “worryingly tight” even though everything is “on schedule”. Sir Gerry Berragan was quizzed by FE Week on the topic this afternoon, ahead of a change in legislation which will see his organisation become the Institute […]

News

Ofqual fine and legal costs land an awarding organisation with a six-figure bill

An awarding organisation has been left with a bill of over £100,000 from Ofqual – which includes the exams regulator’s highest ever costs for an enforcement action – after dropping its lengthy appeal against a fine. But Industry Qualifications could have been forced to cough up even more, had Ofqual decided not to waive more […]

News

Can Hinds beat groundhog day with new higher technical qualifications?

Will the higher technical qualifications be genuinely new, or a simple brand wrapper around what already exists, asks Tom Bewick Damian Hinds is the latest Secretary of State to call time on the country’s woeful skills and productivity record. In the surroundings of Battersea power station – Europe’s largest regeneration initiative – Hinds used the […]

Opinion

Awarding bodies told to ‘strengthen controls’ on applied generals after ‘unwarranted’ rise in grades

Ofqual is urging awarding organisations to “strengthen their controls” on certain types of applied general qualifications, after it uncovered evidence of grade inflation on old-style BTECs. Its research into the “legacy” level three BTECs, which don’t include any external assessment, found that the proportion of people gaining the highest grades on some of these courses […]

News

AOs investigate private provider to church groups following misuse of funding concerns

Multiple awarding organisations are investigating an apprenticeship provider to church community groups after Ofsted raised potential misuse of funding concerns in a damning ‘inadequate’ report this week. Inspectors found that Touchstone Educational Solutions Ltd, which has Education and Skills Funding Agency contracts totalling more than £2 million, worked with employers who did not recognise the […]

News

WEA Awards recognise inspirational lifelong learners and tutors

A former boxer who overcame alcohol and substance abuse to get back into the ring as a coach has been crowned outstanding student of the year by the Workers’ Educational Association. Now in their sixth year, the awards celebrate the people – including learners, tutors and WEA staff – who have transformed their own lives […]

News

AELP consulting on proposals to avoid EPA ‘car crash’

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers is seeking input from its members on how to avoid an apprenticeship end point assessment “car crash”. The consultation builds on widespread concerns from across the sector about a lack of assessor capacity, as the number of apprentices needing to sit their final exams grows. “The warning lights […]

News