The Top 10 Thought Leadership Articles of 2025 on FE News
2025 was the year apprenticeship reform stopped being a future conversation and became an urgent, unavoidable reality. From levy changes to assessment overhauls, the sector grappled with policy shifts that will shape further education for years to come. But it wasn’t just about apprenticeships, our thought leaders also addressed the skill mismatches, accessibility barriers, Ofsted reform, and the human cost of professional failure.
Across 2,664 articles published on FE News in 2025, including 306 exclusive main features, these 10 pieces cut through the noise. They didn’t just report what was happening, they sparked the conversations we needed to have and offered solutions when the sector needed them most.
Making this list is a real achievement. These are the thought leaders who showed up, shared their expertise, and moved the dial. Huge respect to everyone featured here!
So here they are: the most-read exclusive articles of 2025 on FE News.
#10: The New Era for Apprenticeship Assessment
Rob Nitsch, Federation of Awarding Bodies
Ofqual’s consultation on revised apprenticeship assessment dropped a bombshell, and Rob broke down exactly what it meant for assessment organisations, training providers, and apprentices. This landed because it translated complex policy into practical implications, readers needed to understand what was coming, fast.
#9: Three Tests for the Government’s Health and Disability Benefit Green Paper
Stephen Evans, Learning and Work Institute
With £40 billion spent on incapacity and disability benefits, the Government’s proposed cuts sparked fierce debate. Stephen’s piece offered a framework for evaluating whether reforms would genuinely help people or just shift costs elsewhere. It resonated because it challenged both sides to think beyond short-term savings.
#8: Overqualification and Skills Mismatch: A Growing Challenge for the UK Labour Market?
Lizzie Crowley, CIPD
Four in ten workers are overqualified for their jobs, and Lizzie laid out the productivity and progression costs we’re all paying. This hit home because it named a problem everyone could see but few were addressing head-on: our education system is creating outcomes the labour market can’t absorb.
#7: Failing: Totally. Utterly. Absolutely.
Mandeep Gill
Raw, honest, and gutting. Mandeep’s account of professional failure and personal breakdown shattered the “you’re only as good as your last gig” myth. This article mattered because leaders rarely admit what it actually feels like to fail publicly, and readers desperately needed to hear it.
#6: How the Proposed Ofsted Inspections Would Look for Small Training Providers and Apprenticeship Providers
Lee Owston and Paul Joyce, Ofsted
Ofsted’s new inspection framework had providers anxious about what it would mean in practice. Lee and Paul walked small training providers through the real-world application of the reforms, cutting through speculation with clarity. Providers needed this roadmap.
#5: Fixing the Apprenticeship Levy is a Big Ask, but Finally a Real Chance to Get it Right
Kate Shoesmith, Recruitment and Employment Confederation
The levy has been broken for years, and Kate called out exactly why: rigid structures, clawback waste, and a focus on higher levels when the jobs are at levels 1-4. This resonated because it named what everyone knew but few were saying, and offered a path forward.
#4: Solid Foundations for a Successful Foundation Apprenticeship Programme
Simon Ashworth, AELP
With 946,000 young people classed as NEET, Foundation Apprenticeships became critical. Simon broke down the four building blocks needed to make them work, cutting through government messaging confusion. Readers needed this clarity as the programme launched.
#3: Employers Urge Government to Extend Level 7 Apprenticeship Funding Beyond Age 21
Gareth John, First Intuition
The proposed 21-and-under funding cap sparked outrage from employers across the country. Gareth didn’t just argue against it, he brought receipts, with voices from NHS trusts, SMEs, and accountancy firms explaining why it would devastate social mobility. This piece gave the sector ammunition.
#2: The Growth and Skills Levy: Is It Still the Government’s Most Underrated Investment?
Al Bird, Instep
With only 4% of employers using their full levy funding, Al made the case for why the renamed Growth and Skills Levy could actually work, if the reforms stick. This landed because it was optimistic without being naive, and practical without being boring.
#1: The New Apprenticeship Funding Rules: Next Steps for EpAOs
Jacqui Molkenthin
Jacqui’s breakdown of the 10 critical changes in the new apprenticeship funding rules became essential reading for every assessment organisation navigating the biggest policy shift in years. This topped the charts because it was comprehensive, practical, and landed exactly when people needed it most.
Honourable Mention:
Creating a Path to Success: Three Ways to Empower Women with Menopause in their Career Growth
Laura Gordon, Vistage UK
Laura’s piece on supporting women experiencing menopause in the workplace finished as the 11th most-read exclusive of the year. With 900,000 women having left jobs due to menopause, she offered actionable strategies, menopause champions, action plans, and education initiatives that organisations can actually implement.
Thanks to everyone who contributed this year. These articles prove that thought leadership isn’t about adding to the noise, it’s about showing up with solutions when the sector needs them most.
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