News

First early Ofsted monitoring visit of apprenticeship newcomer warns training ‘not fit for purpose’

The first of a new wave of Ofsted’s early-monitoring visit reports on newcomers to the apprenticeship market has been...

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Chancellor announces £80m to support small businesses with apprentices

There will be an extra £80 million released to help small businesses recruit apprentices, the chancellor has announced in...

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

95% of apprenticeships agreed at full cap price, despite negotiation ‘experiment’

The government should drop its “experiment” with negotiated apprenticeship prices, after it emerged that almost every single one is...

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
Opinion

More part-time apprenticeships are needed – here’s why

Apprenticeships as they stand are low-paid and inflexible, and that prices out people with care needs and children. This...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
News

Barnfield College could lose its apprenticeships provision

Barnfield College has been rated grade four by Ofsted for apprenticeships, which means it will lose the right to...

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

DfE ‘plain sloppy’ at policing apprenticeship minimum wage adverts

Providers on the government’s apprenticeship search site are not being effectively policed to ensure they advertise legal wages –...

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
Opinion

How Greater Manchester plans to boost BAME apprenticeships

The city-region is front and centre in the government’s new plan to boost BAME participation in skills, writes Cllr...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

Change is coming – but can the apprenticeship market handle it?

Employers are paying too much for their apprenticeships, according to the Department for Education. Officials “expected” employers would negotiate...

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Anger as apprenticeship providers asked to log off-the-job training

Providers will be asked to log apprentices’ off-the-job training hours to prove that the deeply unpopular minimum funding requirement...

Paul Offord
Paul Offord