apprenticeships | FE Week

Employers slam “inordinately long” development time for apprenticeship standards

Employer groups have complained about the “inordinately long time” it has taken to develop the new apprenticeship standards, some of which were first published over two years ago but are still unready for delivery. FE Week analysis has found that 16 apprenticeship standards published on the gov.uk website between April 2014 and March 2015 have […]

ESFA is jeapordising degree apprenticeships

The ESFA’s approach to the allocation of apprenticeship funding for non-levy employers undermines the apprenticeship reforms and specifically, degree apprenticeships, says Adrian Anderson The apprenticeship reforms put the employer in the driving seat. Employers develop apprenticeship standards that define the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for an occupation, and they decide which to use to […]

How to improve apprenticeship completion rates

Apprentices need to understand why completion is so important, and this needs to be led from the top, says Alan Woods The phrase ‘I’ve started so I’ll finish’ might be commonly associated with University Challenge presenters, but it also articulates a mental resolve that should be adopted by young apprentices. When it comes to the […]

Conservatives are lying about 3m apprenticeships for young people

The Conservative manifesto has repeated the pledge from 2015 to “deliver our commitment to create 3 million apprenticeships for young people by 2020.” This target description remains at best grossly misleading, and now they’re repeating it two years later, I think it’s fair to call this a lie. Why? Because in reality they are aren’t […]

C&G Group buys apprenticeship agency in effort to corner nuclear industry

The nation’s largest training provider to the UK civil nuclear industry has been bought out by the City & Guilds Group – through a deal that will also involve it taking on board an apprenticeship training agency. The purchase of Gen2, which works with more than 250 employers across six sites in Cumbria, was announced […]

Ambassador vows to ‘beat drum’ over small business fears

The government’s small business apprenticeship ambassador will “continue to beat the drum” over fears that limited access to funding will drive SMEs away. Jason Holt spoke exclusively to FE Week after the devastating impact of last week’s “derisory” funding allocations for providers delivering apprenticeships to small employers between May and December became clear. The announcement, […]

Devastating impact of non-levy allocations ‘horror show’

The allocations horror show has claimed its first victim, as a subcontractor with 18 years’ experience has announced it will be forced to close within months after it was dropped by its lead provider. Other subcontractors are meanwhile warning of “chaos” and mass redundancies due to the massive cuts the government has made in its […]

DfE ditches Boles back-to-school plan for apprentices

A plan to force apprentices to go back into schools and promote apprenticeships has seemingly been dumped just a year after it was announced by the former skills minister. Nick Boles told the parliamentary sub-committee on education, skills and the economy last April that the government would introduce the “commitment on the part of an […]

Levy launch ‘horror’ story predicted following apprenticeship funding allocations

Apprenticeship providers are facing up to a “horror story” of bankruptcy and failure after receiving funding allocations that amount to a fraction of their current delivery, sector leaders are warning. The amount of cash colleges and providers will receive in order to deliver apprenticeships to small employers between May and December was revealed by the […]