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24 April 2026

Tag: IfA

The Institute for Apprenticeships board lacks balance

Independent training providers will have every right to feel aggrieved that they are not represented on the new board of the Institute for Apprenticeships. The government sensibly wants a relatively small number of board members, and the plan has always been for the majority of them to be ‘employers’. But it clearly felt provider representation […]

‘Shambles’ IfA on course to launch with temporary leadership

The Institute for Apprenticeships looks increasingly likely to launch without either a permanent chief or deputy chief executive, following yet more delays to board appointments. With less than three months until the IfA is “fully operational”, the two top jobs haven’t even been advertised – and the Department for Education cannot say when that will […]

The Institute for Apprenticeships is a shambles

The government’s handling of the Institute for Apprenticeships has descended into complete shambles. Even though it will be charged with implementing a flagship policy, it has yet to advertise for a permanent chief and deputy chief executive, and we now have less than three months before it goes live. The muddle has been there from […]

Marsden ‘very disappointed’ as assurances on IfA announcements fail to deliver

Delays to the release of key details about the Institute for Apprenticeships are “very disappointing” evidence of a “haphazard” approach from the government, shadow skills minister Gordon Marsden has said. In a Public Bill Committee hearing on November 22, Peter Lauener, shadow chief executive of the IfA (pictured right), suggested to Mr Marsden that information […]

Apprentices get IfA representation – but no place on the board

The government has finally committed to establishing an apprentice panel for the Institute for Apprenticeships, in a move hailed by the National Union of Students as a victory for learners. The panel was announced by apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon during the sixth sitting of the public bill committee for the Technical and Further […]

SFA approve just 13% of apprentice assessment organisation applications

Organisations applying to the government’s new register of apprenticeship assessment organisations are being turned away because their plans for end-point assessment are not up to scratch, according to the new interim chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships, Peter Lauener. Mr Lauener (pictured above right), who is also chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency and Education […]

Profile Nadhim Zahawi, education secretary

Nadhim Zahawi is England’s new education secretary, FE Week profiled Zahawi back in 2016 when he served the then Prime minister, David Cameron, as apprenticeship ambassador.