FE News on the go

How The Language of Learning Can Transform Apprenticeship DeliveryJust as a skilled musician adapts their performance to their audience’s preferences, trainers must adapt their language to resonate with learners’ unique motivations. In the ever-evolving landscape of education and training, the concept of “one-size-fits-all” no longer holds sway. In today’s diverse learning environments, recognisin...

Contextualised and Community-Oriented: Two C’s that are part of successful education interventionsWISE’s Niamh Whelan and Aurelio Amaral discuss the key steps in supporting impactful education projects that understand learner needs, build adapted and contextualised strategies and drive community-orientated collaboration. Understanding learners’ needs, crafting educational strategies adapted to tho...

Apprenticeships are failing as a vehicle for social mobilityThere have been significant reforms to apprenticeships over the last decade. This includes the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017, which was accompanied by a series of other policy changes, such as the move from Frameworks to Standards. Yet despite these reforms, the number of starts for apprenticeships has fallen dramaticall...

Making Sensible Recommendations on Apprenticeship FundingThe recent Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) report that grabs most attention concerns apprenticeship funding. However, ‘creative’ the recommendations may feel, any future government would be better to ensure stability in apprenticeship funding; not ‘radical, untested change’ such as those proposed by the IFS. This article looks at the pros...

Ensuring we have the digital workforce of the futureAs part of NCFE’s spotlight report on digital skills, James Lane, Sector Manager for Digital, Creative and Design, explores how we can create the digital workforce of the future. The digital sector is one of the fastest growing in the economy, but that rapid expansion is inextricably connected with an increasing skills gap. There are a number of...

Education and Business the Driving Forces behind Equity in the WorkplaceRecruiting and retaining talented staff is one of the biggest challenges facing businesses at the moment. Our survey data shows that this challenge is a more pressing concern than energy prices, taxes, or red tape. Filling skills gaps will require collaboration between business and education to ensure that everyone, regardless...

Reflections on championing Inclusive Professionalism Following a keynote address at AELP’s recent EDI Summit, Dr Vikki Smith, Executive Director of Education and Standards at Education and Training Foundation (ETF), shares her reflections on championing inclusive professionalism in the context of ETF’s commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) and its importance to the Furthe...

Leader WellbeingThe statistics are stark – according to Education Support’s ‘Teacher Wellbeing Index 2022’, 61% of FE staff ‘had actively sought to change or leave their current job’ with staff burnout cited as the major contributor. If leaders are to help turn this around, they must ensure they take care of their own wellbeing first – only then will they be capable of supporting the wellbeing of...

Data: The answer to overcoming impossible financial decisionsIn this article, Simon discusses how education leaders don’t have to face impossible financial decisions alone. Instead, they should harness data to get a complete, real-time picture of their trust or school in order to budget effectively and avoid sacrificing spend. Across the education sector, financial pressures are severe, wide-rangi...

Art, Algorithms, and Creative Decline: Not Enough STEAM-Power For Educational ReformIn this article we’ll look at the long-term decline of creativity in education, just at a time when employers are going to value those ‘human’ attributes even more. IMPACT OF AI ON EDUCATIONIn the preceding articles in this series, we saw that creativity is perhaps the single most important and unique trait of bein...

Digital Credentials and Blockchain: Transforming the FE LandscapeThis article explores how digital credentials and blockchain technology have the potential to reshape the Further Education (FE) landscape. It explains how blockchain’s decentralised and immutable nature can enhance the security, transparency, and trustworthiness of digital credentials, as well as address challenges such as fraud and...

Transforming prison educationPrisoners who get a job on release are less likely to reoffend. That’s why HMPPS is transforming prison education to give prisoners the skills for employment when they leave custody. His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is transforming education in prisons to equip prisoners with the skills and training they need to get a job on release, which has a prove...

How the cost-of-living crisis is shifting UK socioeconomicsWhile the cost-of-living crisis is undoubtedly affecting mental health, it is also prompting behavioural changes – in both positive and negative ways. This article explores how this is influencing socio-economic statuses, as the choices between higher education and apprenticeships become based on our resource needs. Objective socioeconomic...

Investing in the Sector of the Future at the FE CollectiveA general election looms on the horizon. In normal times, we would collectively be calling for additional investment into the education and skills sector, which we all know would make a material difference to outcomes for individuals, and the economy. However, despite a wide body of evidence demonstrating that investment in skills will reap...

Digital exclusion in prisons is a catastrophe in waitingWith Friday October 13th marking the International Day of Education in Prison, the founder of digital learning company Coracle has said that we must act now to ensure our prisoners have the skills to operate in a digital world. I’m James Tweed, founder and managing director of digital learning company Coracle . We provide inmates at 86 prison...

Empowering Women Returners: Bridging the Gap in Further EducationWomen returners face significant hurdles in their quest to reclaim their careers. By recognising transferable skills and experience, alongside a flexible and tailored approach we can finally bridge the gap. In today’s ever-evolving job market, we are at a pivotal moment where attracting diverse talent is not just a virtue but a neces...

Fostering Innovation and Leadership: The Power of Government, Industry, and Higher Education CollaborationToday’s world is complex. The trifecta of government, industry, and higher education is proving to be an indispensable force that fuels innovation, shapes talent pipelines, and cultivates mission-driven leadership for a sustainable future. This dynamic collaboration not only drives economic gr...

Pestalozzi To Present: Head, Heart And Hands Shaping Education Through The AgesIn this second article in the series of four on creativity in education, we shall probe into the key personalities behind the history of creativity in education and why it is important for young people to be creative at school. A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF CREATIVITY IN EDUCATIONCreativity has had an active and flourishing p...

The Role of AI in Enhancing Employability Services: Strengthening Human Connections through TechnologyEmployability professionals connect jobseekers with jobs through trust, built on respect and mutual growth. Whilst AI can supplement and enhance human-focused services, can machines truly understand human potential and ambition? Employability professionals play an essential role in bridging the ga...

Rishi Sunak announces a new qualification, the Advanced British Standard, throwing planned qualification reforms into disarray. I question if this is the right way to improve vocational and technical education. Before I start, I am fully cognisant of a theme developing through my articles. In many respects, I would rather not be using the precious small amount of spare time I have on a weekend fee...

Here, Nick Lovegrove, principal lecturer, explains how universities can support students to develop creative and design skills for later career development. Having worked in graphic design since the late 90s and teaching at the university for eight years, I have witnessed a game changing levelling of the playing field – the adoption of digital technology, has helped more people than ever before be...

Inclusive leadership and culture in the further education and skills sector – in conversation with Dr Katerina Kolyva and Professor Jo MaherIn this first of a series of Inclusive Leadership ‘in conversation’ articles, launching in the first week of Black History Month, Dr Katerina Kolyva, and Professor Jo Maher, discuss the importance of inclusive leadership in the further education and skills sec...

The Advanced British Standard – A huge missed opportunityOn 30 August FE News reported on a survey, carried out in the US by Business Name Generator , the key finding of which was that “84% of employees and managers believe new employees must possess soft skills and demonstrate this in the hiring process” – soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, self-motivation, fle...

It’s a digital world - the rise of AI in the labour market - at the FE CollectiveIt’s difficult to grasp just how dependent we are on technology to perform our daily tasks, whether at work or in our personal lives. The labour market is reflective of this new digital world, with the demand for digital skills climbing steadily over the last few years. Currently, 4 out of 10 employers mention digital...

Unity and maturity: The approach further and higher education need to drive project successAs further education (FE) and higher education (HE) institutions compete to engage stakeholders and stay relevant in an intensifying market, the increasing pace of change can only be managed through successful transformation projects. To be successful, such projects call for a maturation of project managemen...