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Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 845: 2nd May 2026. If FE Teaching is a Profession, Why is Training Optional?
This is the weekly e-newsletter and e-journal by FE News: ISSN 2732-4095. We know life is busy, so here's a snapshot of the latest announcements and epic thought leadership articles from sector influencers and thought leaders across FE and Skills this week on FE News.
Gavin’s Reflective Perspective
Another stack of really good reads this week.
I really enjoyed Dr Paul Tully's article, with a really thought provoking piece. If FE teaching is a profession, why is training optional? There is often a lot of noise about the difference in salaries of a school teacher to a FE and Skills practitioner, but if we are to have FE and Skills to be seen as equally professional as school teachers, surely CPD needs to be mandatory and I have long thought the same for formal teaching. Paul makes some really interesting points, subject knowledge is brilliant, but knowing your trade isn't the same as knowing how to teach it. This kind of articles is well worth a read whatever side of the debate you sit on.
What's interesting is it landed the same week as the DfE's first year evaluation of the FE Targeted Retention Incentive. 5,974 teachers received the payment, and 21% said they would have walked without it. Genuinely a strong result for the scheme. The slight wrinkle is the parity issue creeping in, with longer serving teachers feeling the squeeze once the TRI is factored in for early career colleagues. One to watch as Round 2 plays out.
Skills England also published their Level 7 apprenticeship assessment this week. No exemptions from defunding. Plenty of concerns flagged from health, legal, creative, and defence employers. Plenty of conversations still to be had.
The AI thread
Three pieces on AI this edition and they are all circling the same point. Dean Blewitt at NCFE asks whether assessment is keeping pace with reform. James Gupta at Synap reminds us 88% of UK undergrads are using AI in their work now, up from just over half last year. Maggie Jones at CIM points to 97% of employers reporting at least one AI skills gap. Spoiler... AI isn't a future challenge anymore. It's a current reality, and the sectors that move first on assessment design and workforce readiness are the ones that are going to be ok.
Hidden talent, hidden voices
I really liked Tim Balcon's piece from CITB. 1 in 4 people in construction identify as neurodivergent, against 1 in 7 nationally. As Tim puts it, systems are very good at creating failure if we let them. That sits beautifully alongside Rob West's reflection on our Bridging the SEND Cliff Edge Collective on 24 April. Transition is not a moment, it's a lifelong skill. Everyone holds a piece of the jigsaw, and no single part can complete the picture.
I hope you enjoy FE Soundbite this week.
Epic Exclusives Thought Leadership Articles
Our Top 3 Thought Leadership Articles This Week
If Further Education Teaching in England is a Profession, Training Cannot Be Optional By Dr Paul Tully, Chief Executive of FEthink
Post-16 Reform is Moving Fast, but is Assessment Keeping up? By Dean Blewitt, Senior Innovation and Investments Manager at NCFE
This week, we also had some other Epic Exclusives!
Bridging The SEND Cliff Edge: Why Transition Must Become A Lifelong Skill By Rob West, Associate Director, Impact and Influence, Education Training Foundation (ETF)
AI Won’t Wait, Stop Reacting and Start Reskilling By Maggie Jones, Director of Qualifications and Partnerships at CIM
Unlocking Hidden Talent in Construction By Tim Balcon, CEO, CITB
Maintaining Assessment Integrity in the Age of AI By Dr. James Gupta, CEO and Founder of online exam platform, Synap
What’s New in the World of FE?
Announcements
Skills England backs Level 7 apprenticeship defunding despite sector pushback
One in five FE teachers would have left without retention payment, DfE finds
Sir David Bell calls for students, parents and Teachers to share their experiences of Antisemitism in Schools and Colleges By the Department for Education (DfE)
John Widdowson Steps Down As Chair from WEA and Geoff Layer Appointed New Chair of Trustees By WEA (Workers’ Educational Association)
Voices
Developing safety-focused new entrants to future-proof industry workforce By Andrew Hockey, Chief Executive of the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB)
Net zero won’t retrofit itself: why skills are the real bottleneck By Steve Thompson, Commercial Director, NOCN Group
Beyond the Bot: Why Universities Need Guided AI By Ejiro Ghene, Content and digital communication specialist in startup innovation ecosystems
In The Know
We have big plans for upcoming Collectives, and you can get involved. We have learnt a lot from the Green Mindset Collective, and we are drawing from this on how to give people more of a voice.
Join us for the Breaking Barriers Collective event in partnership with Edge Foundation, working together collectively to solve the NEET puzzle.
This isn't a conference; it's a collective. It isn't a chalk-and-talk event, but an interactive one. It's rolling up your sleeves and making real change, where you get involved and actually give real input. Join us and help shape the sector!
By Danny O’Meara, Operations Manager, FE News and | 