David Hughes | FE Week

FE’s reputation on the line: learning from Weston governance failures

The damning FE commissioner report on Weston College revealed shocking lack of transparency in senior pay and governance. For an FE sector built on public trust, this must never happen again

Skills minister will ‘look at whether it is right to continue to fund all apprenticeships’

The skills minister has said she will “look at whether it is right” for the government to “continue to fund all apprenticeships”. Anne Milton made the remarks as part of a wide-ranging video interview with Association of Colleges’ boss David Hughes this afternoon, after she was unable to stay for questions at the association’s annual […]

Hughes criticises DfE for claiming university regulator has FE representation

The government and its former universities minister are under fire for “worrying” confusion over FE college representation on the board of the new higher education regulator. During a bitter parliamentary debate on January 8, ex-minister Jo Johnson claimed that FE was represented on the board of the Office for Students in the form of Monisha […]

David Hughes and the AoC are wrong about degree apprenticeships

David Hughes is wrong to criticise the rise in management apprenticeships – they are opening opportunities to people who’ve never had them, argues Mandy Crawford-Lee The University Vocational Awards Council believes in the vital role of colleges in delivering college and work-based training programmes for young people and adults. We also want to champion HE […]

AoC boss expresses regret over 1 per cent pay offer

The Association of Colleges has expressed regret for offering staff a one-per-cent payrise – and has come in for heavy criticism from the unions for its trouble. “We wish we were in a position to make a better recommendation today, but current funding levels for colleges do not allow us to do so,” claimed AoC […]

Colleges ‘deeply concerned’ about £650m non-levy tender

The Education and Skills Funding Agency was accused of plunging the relaunched non-levy apprenticeship funding tender process into chaos last night, as new “clarifications” and document updates were sent out. David Hughes reflects on college concerns below. Colleges are very frustrated and deeply concerned about the timing and the details of this procurement. Concerned because […]

Small school scandal deepens as academy trust found running sixth form with fewer than 20 pupils

A multi-academy trust might be running a new sixth form with fewer than 20 students, FE Week has learned, just days after the DfE reversed a decision to let it open another one over fears it wouldn’t be able to make up numbers. Loxford Trust has refused to reveal exactly how many students attend the […]

Campaign victory over apprenticeship funding

Widespread anger about planned funding cuts exposed by FE Week has brought about a welcome change of heart from the government, which this morning pledged much needed extra financial support of 16 to 18 apprentices in poorer areas. FE Week’s analysis published in August of the planned government funding rates, showed they could be slashed by up […]

Exclusive: AoC India to close after 25 colleges quit

A college partnership network set up by the Association of Colleges to provide UK vocational education and training programmes to India is to close after losing over three quarters of its members. AoC India was established in 2012 as a partnership of 33 FE colleges, but after being left with just eight members this year […]