The latest Exclusive Thought Leadership and Op-Ed Articles written by experts across Further Education, Work Based Learning, Skills, Employability & Apprenticeships
How Australia’s vocational education a…
Nov 14, 2019 / Featured Article
What an AELP delegation learnt Down Under Last month, AELP led a UK skills delegation to Australia sponsored by NCFE and with valuable assistance on the itinerary provided by Kerri Buttery...
AutoNation - A Major New Report Analysin…
Nov 13, 2019 / Featured Article
Recent years have seen a lot of dystopian hype about the #RiseOfTheRobots and the impact of #Automation in the labour market, with proclamations of mass unemployment and the death of...
Why the general election is an opportuni…
Nov 13, 2019 / Featured Article
Whatever your view on Leave or Remain – and don’t worry; I will be keeping this Brexit-neutral – there is no doubt that our future relationship with the EU has...
Knowledge is Power: 4 Secret Weapons of …
Nov 12, 2019 / Featured Article
In the education sector, brand messaging has a crucial part to play in attracting learners and building a reputation worth having - particularly for business and institutions in especially crowded...
Education is clearly about far more than…
Nov 11, 2019 / Featured Article
As a trained teacher, former college principal and now education director for a property development group – I have spent all my life either in or working in the education...
Moser 20 Years On: Why Improving Literac…
Nov 08, 2019 / Featured Article
It is twenty years since the publication of A Fresh Start, Sir Claus Moser’s report on adult basic skills. In case you weren’t there at the time, this landmark report highlighted...
Changing perceptions of engineering #TEW…
Nov 08, 2019 / Featured Article
Engineering suffers from an image problem among young people. ‘Boring’, ‘greasy’ and ‘too difficult’ are just some of the descriptions applied to a profession that is, in fact, breath-taking in...
Cross-party, long-term commitment to adu…
Nov 07, 2019 / Featured Article
#Brexit will play a central role, but closing the adult skills gap in left behind places should be key to this general election While Brexit will play a central role in...
Answering Demand for Educating the Next …
Nov 06, 2019 / Featured Article
Business managers and executives have chosen an MBA to learn new management skills and advance their careers for over a century now. However, balancing an inspiring but tough academic programme with...
Spelling out why mistakes matter: Should…
Nov 05, 2019 / Featured Article
When I was ten years old my teacher Mrs Castle made me write the word ‘beautiful’ two hundred times because I had spelt it - once only - as ‘beautifull’. Why...
The vital objective driving a significan…
Nov 04, 2019 / Featured Article
5 Measures of Success for Radical #Vocational Reform NOCN, one of the UK’s largest awarding and assessment organisations, has partnered with global skills development leader, City and Guilds (C&G), to press...
Working-class youth and the old Youth Tr…
Nov 03, 2019 / Featured Article
YOUTH unemployment has been a big socio-economic problem in the UK for 40 years. Whilst it’s now lower than after the financial crash of 2008, the number of young people not...
Access to a broader curriculum at a youn…
Nov 02, 2019 / Featured Article
If you’ve seen the television advertisements exhorting us to Fire It Up, you would imagine UK plc is thriving with young apprentices, leaping out of bed at 6am, crackling with...
The Importance of Safeguarding Students…
Nov 01, 2019 / Featured Article
How to support students in #FE and #HE The transition from living at home to living at university can be a testing time for many young people. For education professionals it...
Why we need to look outside traditional …
Nov 01, 2019 / Featured Article
Finding the right people with the right skills for the digital age can be a challenge. Some organisations are investing in developing the skills of the people they already employ, while...
Why mistakes matter - How errors show th…
Oct 31, 2019 / Featured Article
We all know that when we are learning a new skill, we may make mistakes. It is part of the learning process and contrary to what a lot of students may...
Education and skills policy is still stu…
Oct 31, 2019 / Featured Article
The 1980s are back; shoulder pads, headbands, ruffle-neck blouses. It’s a well-rehearsed aphorism that fashions repeatedly ‘come round again’, and so if often feels with education policy. Depending on where you...
Overcoming the challenges of end-point a…
Oct 30, 2019 / Featured Article
Having worked in end-point assessment since its inception back in 2014/15, I have seen my fair share of challenges, and worked through a fair number of solutions, alongside the amazing...
A Flawed Report Proposing Recommendation…
Oct 30, 2019 / Featured Article
This week saw publication of a Learning and Work Institute Report on the over-spend of the Apprenticeship Levy Pot. One high profile recommendation proposed forcing employers to make a 50% payment...
Back to basics – how businesses can su…
Oct 29, 2019 / Featured Article
Teachers are under a lot of pressure. Amongst the many demands on their time, they’re expected to help train the next generation of digital talent, and set a strong example...
Are the Education Secretary’s new tech…
Oct 28, 2019 / Featured Article
There is a serious STEM skills crisis in this country. The current shortfall, estimated to be 173,000 workers across science, technology, engineering and mathematics, is hindering the development of new...
Are apprenticeships fit for the future?
Oct 28, 2019 / Featured Article
This week on #SkillsWorld, Tom Bewick, Charlotte Bosworth and Chinara Rustamova tackle the issue of England’s apprenticeship reforms. 6 years on since the publication of the Richard Review, which ushered in...
No matter how advanced the technology, s…
Oct 25, 2019 / Featured Article
In our digital world, almost every field of work has increasingly concentrated on the use of technology to drive speed and efficiency. In most cases the goal has been to...
Excellence in Project-Based Learning
Oct 24, 2019 / Featured Article
If preparation is everything, then young learners at Career College North East are destined to go into the world of work forearmed and forewarned. Uppermost among the breadth of skills they...
STOCKPILING FOR #BREXIT DRIVES WAREHOUSI…
Oct 23, 2019 / Featured Article
As Britain’s warehouses have operated near capacity for several years, how is the looming Brexit date and the uncertainty that surrounds it affecting the storage and logistics sector – and...
Freeing up time to teach: We need to add…
Oct 22, 2019 / Featured Article
Improving school infrastructure to boost contact time Many teachers are unable to spend as much time actually teaching as they’d like to. The proliferation of private tuition has again brought this...
Helping graduates transition from univer…
Oct 21, 2019 / Featured Article
September saw us hold our annual graduation ceremony – a day of celebration and relief for most students! But what happens next? After graduation, some students get caught up in...
AWARDING BODIES NEED TO ADOPT BETTER PRE…
Oct 21, 2019 / SkillsWorld
In this episode of #SkillsWorld, Tom Bewick caught up with Sir John Dunford, former Chair of the Independent Commission on Examination Malpractice. Candidate malpractice affects around 0.02% of UK-based examinations each...
Top Tips for Creating an Award-winning A…
Oct 20, 2019 / Featured Article
Learner of the year, apprenticeship programme of the year, provider of the year: the apprenticeship industry has a whole range of awards and ceremonies across every sector. These awards act...
#MeToo in the FE sector?
Oct 19, 2019 / Featured Article
A recent Radio 4 documentary, File on 4 (17 September 2019), has highlighted the scale of the problem of sexual misconduct in universities. The investigators making that programme sent a...
How do we fulfil the Vision of a thrivin…
Oct 19, 2019 / Featured Article
A thriving Apprenticeship programme at all levels: How do we fulfil the Vision of an all age, all level programme (in England)? Dear Editor, In response to your thought provoking article ‘We need...
Every Cloud Has A Green Lining: How Clou…
Oct 18, 2019 / Featured Article
“If you think that the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money” so said American scientist Guy McPherson, and it’s a...
How colleges are helping ‘the forgotte…
Oct 17, 2019 / Featured Article
#LoveOurColleges Over the past year there has been increasing coverage of the rising number of pre 16 children who have been out of school during their last two years of secondary...
Higher Technical Qualifications – A We…
Oct 16, 2019 / Featured Article
There’s no denying the economic need for level 4 and 5 technical skills. The Government’s analysis on not just the need for level 4 and 5 qualifications, but also initial...
5 Things We Can Expect From the Universi…
Oct 15, 2019 / Featured Article
The world of education is changing. In the face of technological progress and the drive towards flexible study environments, educational institutions are evaluating the way they deliver learning. Where there...
The Torn Identity – How can we utilise…
Oct 14, 2019 / Featured Article
The concept of identity Careers Adviser. Writer. Volunteer. Runner. Reader. Listener. Partner. Brother. Son. Friend. In an era where we are often defined by tags and labels that help us fit into...
THE TRUE POWER OF A COLLEGE'S CORE VALUE…
Oct 13, 2019 / Featured Article
Many – even most – colleges will have made a corporate commitment to a set of core values. Here’s an example from one London FE college: Learner centred Improving Professionalism Equality Teamworking Challenging Such values may typically...
What can businesses do to increase gende…
Oct 12, 2019 / Featured Article
The tech industry explores gender diversity Ada Lovelace Day offered a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women in technology, and it’s never been more important to do so. According...
It’s great news that teaching #apprent…
Oct 11, 2019 / Featured Article
The idea of an apprenticeship route into teaching is back on the table after three years, and should be welcomed during this #backtoschool season. It could make the profession more accessible...
Making Mental Health a regional priority…
Oct 10, 2019 / Featured Article
#WorldMentalHealthDay2019 places a spot light on the mental health epidemic which affects millions. It’s also about raising awareness and sharing a better understanding of mental health issues especially suicide. 800,000 people...
The Apprenticeship #Levy in England: Wha…
Oct 09, 2019 / Featured Article
The Party Conference season in England is now over for another year and while #Brexit debate continues to prevail across parties, in the fringes we found ongoing debate on the...
Saving college tutors' valuable time wit…
Oct 08, 2019 / Featured Article
Retention of college tutors is a challenge that has faced the UK further education sector for a long time, not helped by the reduction in funding that colleges have contended...
Party conferences and the ‘forgotten 5…
Oct 08, 2019 / Featured Article
Is the FE and skills sector really going to be ‘supercharged’ by the current government or a new government after the expected general election? For all the positive noises made...
Pupils from deprived backgrounds are jus…
Oct 07, 2019 / Featured Article
The Social Mobility Impact of #Apprenticeships There is little doubt that the Apprenticeship sector has been through a turbulent period. Many of us leading Apprenticeship businesses have been left managing challenges...
Maximising Student Enrolments – The va…
Oct 07, 2019 / Featured Article
Over the past few weeks further education colleges have been heavily engaged in converting student applications to enrolments. School leavers and other young learners looking to switch providers will have been...
Embedding #apprenticeships into school c…
Oct 05, 2019 / Featured Article
In schools the main route to higher qualifications has tended to be university but this provides only a very narrow focus on career paths. A vast range of talented people...
Virtual Learning Environments: What is t…
Oct 04, 2019 / Featured Article
The fourth industrial revolution #4IR is already underway and like the industrial revolutions before it, it will instil fundamental change in all aspects of our personal and professional lives. Change...
The role of #STEAM in readying students …
Oct 03, 2019 / Featured Article
ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN – ONE GIANT LEAP FOR OUR CHILDREN As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landings, a survey commissioned by ACS International Schools found that three...
Technology's Role In Education
Oct 02, 2019 / Featured Article
Protecting Investments For The Future Of Education The education industry of today is vastly different to that of just a few years ago. Gone are the days where a singular desktop...
Three reasons why the further education …
Oct 01, 2019 / Featured Article
Jacob Kemp, Head of Direct Sales, Dynistics, outlines three key reasons that all education establishments need a strategic view of their data throughout the entire academic year in order to get...
How brand and student relationships are …
Sep 30, 2019 / Featured Article
2.34 million. That’s the number of students studying at UK higher education institutions according to Universities UK. Aside from the huge number, it’s a group that amasses attention from brands who...
Labour’s pledge to abolish independent…
Sep 28, 2019 / Featured Article
Labour’s pledge to abolish independent schools is a headline-grabber but if you look at the detail you’ll see it’s toothless and implausible. There are 600,000 students being taught independently and thousands...
Access to Apprenticeships - Simplify eli…
Sep 28, 2019 / Featured Article
#NationalInclusionWeek - Bridging the Employment Gap At the heart of creating a diverse skilled workforce is having a skills system that supports everybody to thrive and develop no matter what background they...
#WSUKLIVE The pursuit of excellence: Wor…
Sep 27, 2019 / Featured Article
Accounting is an industry where the UK genuinely leads the world. One of the few where our standards are still being either adopted or copied by others. And it is an industry...
Why NOCN and City & Guilds are worki…
Sep 26, 2019 / Featured Article
Collaboration to ‘Close the Gap’ is a matter of priority for leading education charities Today (26 Sept) sees the launch of a landmark report, ‘Close the Gap’, where NOCN and City...
How can FE provide students with a #Ment…
Sep 25, 2019 / Featured Article
As young people up and down the country prepare to embark on their further or higher education journeys, Dr Ian Jackson, medical director and clinical safety officer, at Refero, explains...
Fantastic Opportunities to Develop Curri…
Sep 24, 2019 / Featured Article
With the start of the new academic year now in full swing, colleges up and down the country will already be turning their attention to planning their curriculum for the...
A Holistic Pedagogy to Widen Participati…
Sep 23, 2019 / Featured Article
More students in the pipeline than ever before The population of 18-year-olds in the UK is set to rise drastically by 2030. This will create a number of limiting factors for...
4 positive signs that careers education …
Sep 21, 2019 / Featured Article
Careers and enterprise provision in England’s schools and colleges The Careers and Enterprise Company’s annual summary of the careers education taking place in England "The State of the Nation" has just...
Educating the Educators: The importance …
Sep 20, 2019 / Featured Article
Many teachers and lecturers approach the new academic year with an adrenalin-rich blend of excitement and nerves. Education, like healthcare, is one of those topics everybody cares about and educators know...
FE News are always keen to engage with experts who would like to contribute solution led, peer-to-peer thought leadership content, sharing best practice, innovation and emerging technology within education, training and employment.
Feature articles need to be 650 - 2000 words and be exclusive to FE News. We also need the Name, Job title and Organisation of the author and have an accompanying image, usually a head shot of the author 750px by 570px. Contact editor @ fenews.co.uk for more details on how you can get involved.
