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18 April 2026

Tag: Brexit

From the European Social Fund to Shared Prosperity Fund: ‘It’s a shambles’

Billions of pounds have poured into skills and education projects through the European Social Fund. Its replacement, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is set to go live in 2022 ̶ but is it ready? “That money was an absolute lifeline, especially through the pandemic,” says Nickala Torkington, managing director of a not-for-profit which skills up […]

T-levels could be under threat if no deal Brexit goes ahead

The introduction of T-levels could be under threat if a “no deal” Brexit goes ahead, according to reports this morning – although the Department for Education has denied this. The Times newspaper listed the new technical qualifications as being “considered vulnerable to ‘reprioritisation’” in the event that the UK leaves the European Union at the […]

How will reducing low-skill foreign workers impact FE?

The UK has long relied on EU workers. Now employers must improve the training of homegrown staff, says Tom Richmond “What we want to see is people here in the UK being trained to take on the jobs which are available” said the prime minister to Radio 4 listeners during the Conservative Party conference. With […]

Investing in skills: a Keynesian approach for the 21st century

Neil Carmichael told our sister paper FE Week that before he lost his seat in Parliament, his next plan for the Education Select Committee was going to be “a big piece of work on training and skills”. Here he outlines his vision When the United Kingdom leaves the European Union in 2019 the economy will […]

FE deserves a seat at the Brexit table

We still don’t know what Brexit will look like, but as FE has so much skin in the game, it deserves a say in talks This week marks one year since the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union, a toxic time in our political and democratic history. Perhaps the divisions are still […]

Did Brexit REALLY make a difference to the election outcome?

The effect Brexit had on the results varies wildly from place to place and can’t be distilled into a simple conclusion, says Gemma Gathercole In the early hours after an election and before the results come in, you hear various commentators coming up with their own ideas about what has happened with the vote. In […]

What will replace the European Social Fund?

After Brexit, the government must replace the £500 million provided every year by the European Social Fund for people in disadvantaged circumstances, says Shane Chowen It’s only been a month since that windy Tuesday morning when the prime minister announced that the country will face a general election on 8 June. When parliament resumes on […]

Campaign launched to protect vulnerable learners from Brexit cuts

A campaign has been launched today to prevent huge Brexit-induced cuts to FE funding, which supports learners who “fall between the gaps” of mainstream provision. European Social Fund investment, worth £2.4 billion though the 2014 to 2020 allocations round, pays for hundreds of projects geared at boosting skills and helping those out of work find […]

The government must go much further with reforms

The Technical and Further Education Bill is a good start, but it needs to address structural problems that will hold us back in world trade, says Shane Chowen. In the wake of the vote to leave the EU, the economic aftershocks are beginning to be felt. Economists still forecast a rise in unemployment – albeit […]