FE News on the go

Further Education’s role in tackling Digital Poverty through skillsDigital Poverty remains a pressing issue with millions in the UK being left behind as technological advances storm ahead. It’s more important than ever for further education to play its part in tackling this social issue. We are in midst of a period of accelerated technological change characterised by rapid advancements in areas in...

'Permacrisis' leading to negative feelings about the future and could learning be the answer? In this article, Catherine Orridge shares how education can offer direction and confidence for adults during times of ‘permacrisis’, emphasising the mental and physical health benefits of learning. Ending 2022 with “permacrisis”; the Collins Dictionary word of the year sums up how many people feel about t...

BLG’s Call to Action on Ethnic Equity in FEWith the number of black college CEOs falling nationwide, Robin Landman OBE, director of Black Leadership Group, explains why we need a roadmap for ethnic equity in FE.Nearly three years ago, we wrote an Open Letter that highlighted two major concerns: the continued under-representation of Black staff at all levels of the college workforce and the stubbor...

Embracing VolunteeringCelebrating Volunteers’ Week 2023, Dr Katerina Kolyva, CEO at the Education and Training Foundation reflects on volunteering and the positive impact that it brings to individuals, their communities and to society as a whole. Volunteers’ Week (1–7 June) has been an opportunity to celebrate the millions of people who make a difference in their communities across the UK. I’ve al...

Breaking the Snobbery: Degree Apprenticeships and Career AdvancementI have returned to the world of apprenticeship delivery, after a six-year “EPAO” hiatus, bringing with me a fresh perspective. Having once understood the widely held opinion that the rise of degree apprenticeships was often termed simply as a “land-grab” by the middle classes, I am now witnessing firsthand the transformative impac...

Bridging the gap: Addressing the tech skills shortage with partnershipsTech employers in the UK are facing a shortage of skilled workers and a lack of diversity in their technology teams. To address these issues, partnerships with organisations like School of Code are crucial. By offering free coding bootcamps to people from diverse backgrounds, businesses like OAG have creates talent pipelines an...

In this insightful Q&A, courtesy of The LGBT Speakers Agency , Inga Beale reflects on her role as the first female CEO of Lloyd’s of London. From the value of diversity and inclusion to the importance of seeking mental health support, she explores the many ways that workplaces can create a more accepting and inclusive culture. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION?“I’ve work...

Cerian Ayres and Mandy Crawford-Lee examine the need to embed sustainability across apprenticeships, skills and work-based learning. They highlight the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for integrating sustainability into the apprenticeship, vocational, technical and professional education system, and explore the opportunities for promoting productivity, social mobility and widenin...

In this article leadership expert Neil Jurd discusses how leaders can dismantle the status barrier at work – and why it is key to building high-performing teams. He reveals how organisations can free themselves from the entanglement of bureaucracy and status to encourage new leaders to use initiative. There is a traditional view of leadership – one where leaders are associated with their position,...

Continued financial pressure on schools and colleges, combined with expensive creative tools, means creative education is being de-prioritised for many students. Here, Nick Birch highlights what effect the lack of a creative education can have on pupils and the implications for the future workforce. Despite increased government funding for schools and colleges, due to significant running costs , t...

In an exclusive article, Luise Ruddick, Policy Officer from the Federation of Awarding Bodies, talks about her recent ADHD diagnosis and the importance of raising neurodiversity awareness in the sector. Those of you who’ve met me, or seen me virtually in one of FAB’s webinars, would probably say I am bubbly, chatty and friendly. I like to think I am all of those things, but under the surface I’m a...

Generative AI won’t replace teachers, but they need to learn how to leverage it to thrive . The impact of AI and ChatGPT in education is a hot topic, but we need to find a middle ground between fear and hype. AI should be seen as a tool that enhances, not replace, educators in the learning process. There have been so many articles and blog posts written in 2023 about the impact of AI and ChatGPT i...

In this article, Robert Harrison from ACS International Schools, discusses the outcomes of a new report, which focuses on what the purpose of education should be to ensure students leave school future-ready. If we have learned anything in the last five years, it is that the world is changing, and changing fast. New disciplines and previously unimagined job roles are continually emerging and the sk...

Might ChatGPT win next year’s Eurovision Song Contest? In this blog about why generative AI really is creative, Dennis Sherwood says ‘yes’ – but this possibility won’t block human creativity. I reckon ChatGPT is a lot more creative than I am. And perhaps you too. Which is probably rather scary. To explain why I believe this, let me explain what I think ‘real’ creativity is. To do that, let’s study...

Responding to the need for change in apprenticeship delivery This is the first in a series of two articles about apprenticeships written exclusively for FE News. This first article is by Cerian Ayres – National Head of Technical Education for the Education and Training Foundation. Cerian Ayres examines the recommendations from three key reports on apprenticeships, alongside the UK government’s new...

Today marks the anniversary of the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man killed in a US street by a white police officer. This wasn’t the catalyst for change we hoped it would be in eradicating systemic racism, says Stella Ngozi Mbubaegbu CBE, Director of the Black Leadership Group. In this article, Stella argues that catalysts cannot be the driver for progress on anti-racism. On 25 May 2...

Last week Paul Grainger attended the Global Solutions summit, which advises the G7. A summary of the broader decisions is followed by a discussion of how to provide a digital architecture for the public good .This year’s G7 , 19 – 21 May, achieved extra prominence in part because of the attendance of President Zelensky, in part because of the symbolism of being held in Hiroshima. Scorned by many a...

Education is undergoing a remarkable transformation thanks to the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). AI is revolutionising the way we learn by personalising education, tailoring it to the unique needs and preferences of each learner. In this article, we will delve into the future of education and explore how AI is reshaping traditional classrooms. From adaptive learning systems to...

Emma Sanderson, Managing Director, Options Autism , discusses the current challenges faced by young people with SEND in finding appropriate FE provision, the role of specialist colleges, and the implications for FE provision in the Government’s SEND ReviewThe sector remains quite stark – compared to their peers, young people with special educational needs are 25% less likely to be in sustained emp...

In this article, Deborah Jenkins discusses the need to go beyond safeguarding in order to reduce sexual harm in the further education (FE) sector. Deborah explores the historical context of the Cleveland Child Abuse Scandal and the subsequent creation of the Children Act 1989, which laid the foundation for the safeguarding industry. Despite the widespread implementation of safeguarding measures, s...

In this article, Elizabeth Taylor shares her takeaways from recent analysis of employers navigating Universal Credit. Supporting, challenging and protecting employers is critical to the success of the sector and supporting people on Universal credit to gain and sustain good work. We place a lot of emphasis in our sector on individually tailored programmes, people-centric support, holistic packages...

UVAC’s agenda, once marginal, is now getting the recognition it deserves. Read the Secretary of State’s Higher Education Strategic Priorities Grant Letter to the Office for Students for the 2023-24 financial year, and it is apparent how the higher level vocational learning policies and programmes championed by UVAC are now central to the Government’s Higher Education agenda. Go back to the year UV...

The Twin Group CEO argues that local UKSPF programme commissioners don’t have to copy and paste old ESF provision in brought-forward People and Skills programmes. It was somewhat of a welcome surprise when the government informed combined and local authorities recently that they could bring forward their plans to roll out People and Skills programmes from April 2023 instead of 2024 as part of the...

The government’s record on education funding is particularly woeful in respect of colleges, says Anne Murdoch, college leadership adviser at the Association of School and College Leaders. Pay erosion, teacher shortages and insufficiency of government funding have had a calamitous impact on schools in England and have triggered the current industrial dispute .But what often fails to make headlines...