FE News on the go

Paul Grainger’s 25th April article exploring the role that micro-credentials can play in the economy and lifelong learning was an interesting take on their use. Whilst I agreed with a lot of his arguments there were some elements of his article that I’d like to challenge and provide an alternative viewpoint for. “Of course, micro-credentials will never replace carefully thought-through, formal voc...

There seems to be a certain level of disconnect for the continuing government plans for mandatory maths to 18, with the greatest obstacle being finding additional teachers to teach it during tumultuous times in the education sector. In this article, Fleur Sexton discusses the continuing challenges to implementing Maths to 18The latest Government announcements about the Maths to 18 plans have added...

This article discusses the importance of soft skills for youth development, the challenges young people face in building these skills, strategies to promote soft skill development, and the unique challenges faced by young people with neurodiverse conditions in the UK.Soft skills, such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability, and emotional intelligence, are critical to success in...

In this article, Peter Twining, Heather Sharp and James Goulding of the University of Newcastle (Australia) discuss the benefits of integrating digital badges into higher education assessment after reflecting on their findings from a recent pilot study, which was funded by educational charity NCFE’s Assessment Innovation Fund. The impact of assessment, as an important record of student learning, c...

The UK government’s £100m commitment to supporting the development of AI-focused startups provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on how innovation correlates to growth within the tech space, and what developments in generative AI could mean for consumers. The government’s announcement of an AI taskforce to accelerate its generative AI sector is a promising development for UK tech, potentially...

In this article, Sheila Flavell discusses how the skills gap and rising costs of higher education are leading organizations to consider apprenticeships as a solution. She highlights the benefits of apprenticeships, such as gaining practical skills, industry-recognized qualifications, and the chance to be paid while training. For school leavers, University seems like the obvious route to securing a...

In my FE News piece of 28 March, I examined the statement that GCSE, AS and A level grades are “reliable to one grade either way” (Q1059 here ) – a statement made at a hearing of the Commons Education Select Committee on 2 September 2020 by Ofqual’s then Chief Regulator, Dame Glenys Stacey. Two days later, on 30 March, there was a hearing of another Select Committee – that of the House of Lords, r...

In this article, Glenn Hayes looks at the issue of paying staff on term-time only contracts through the lens of the Lloyd v Elmhurst School Ltd case. He discusses the background, implications and offers some top tips for schools and colleges. Schools and colleges employ staff on term-time only contracts to reduce their payroll costs. The vast majority agree to work during term-time (generally arou...

The recent publication of the Education Select Committee’s report into reform of post-16 education deserves careful consideration. In this article, Simon Ashworth sets out his thoughts on the report, and how post-16 education can be improved. We recently saw the Education Select Committee (ESC) publish its report into reform of post-16 education. The ESC examined how effectively post-16, level 3 e...

In this article, Andy Le Grice outlines the challenges that UK colleges currently face in securing their institutions against cyber-attack, and the potential steps they can take to effectively improve their security posture within the tight constraints of the Further Education sector. It’s no wonder that cyber security is front of mind for much of the Education sector. According to the government’...

Adding ‘world’ into WorldSkills UK – establishing an international focus for standardsAs he prepares to step down from his role as Chief Executive at WorldSkills UK after seven years, Neil Bentley-Gockmann reflects on how WorldSkills UK is using international benchmarking to define excellence in technical education and apprenticeships, so more young professionals, from all backgrounds, can succeed...

In this article, Danny King offers insight into how stackable micro-credentials can help employers upskill their teams while steering employees toward their individual career goals. According to a 2021 study, over 80% of Scottish employees had never heard the term “micro-credential”. And while a surge in skills-based hiring has likely caused that percentage to shrink, for many leaders, the true va...