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Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 818: 11th October 2025. How Do We Meet The Missing Middle Skills Needs?
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
Meeting the Missing Middle with the Minister
I caught up with Skills Minister Jacqui Smith this week at the Energy and Utility Skills conference. I got to ask her a bunch of my 'burning questions'... and she was great. Check it out here. I got to chat to her about the Higher Level Skills to 25 years old priorities highlighted last week by the Prime Minister.. particularly for additional funding around the apprenticeship route for 22 - 25 year olds (as with the Levy changes, we have the new funding rules to prioritise young people, so we have the 22 and Under funding rule). We chatted about the 'Missing Middle' of Levels 4 and 5 (which has been a challenge and issue for the 22 years I've been doing this). We also chat about 'Gold Standard' Apprenticeships.
We also discussed NEETs, guaranteed work experience for NEETs on Universal Credit for 18 months... and supporting NEETs that are currently falling through the cracks of support. We also discussed Technical Excellence Colleges and their progress. .... if you can't be bothered to check out the video... the answers are... everything will be clear in the Post 16 White Paper. But I would highly recommend checking it out.
AELP's Simon Ashworth made a really interesting point in a comment on social media in response to the Jacqui Smith video... will the Post 16 White Paper have a bit more clarification on what they see young people to be? As the Levy is targeting Apprenticeship funding from 16-21, the Prime Minister highlights Higher Level Skills for two thirds of young people up to 25 years old, Youth Guarantee provides support up to 21 years old, but half of all NEETs are 22-24 years old. So it is a really interesting and important point by Simon. Let's hope we get more clarification on this in the very hotly anticipated White Paper!
312,000 Skills Need
I was at the Energy and Utility Skills Conference this week. Specifically to check out their new skills strategy. This isn't just any old strategy, if you don't have water, energy, utilities... you basically don't have a functioning country!... also, the 70 members of the Energy & Utility Skills Partnership employ 200,000 people... they also turnover something like £120 Billion! (some nations don't have that amount of money).. and EU Skills have identified that 312,000 new workers will be required by 2030! These are not all 'holes and poles' roles, but high level knowledge economy, AI, Agentic, Data... a really interesting day. We have a video from Paul Cox coming next week, but here is the report and skills gaps, this is a massive one for the sector to get behind (and a massive opportunity for providers to support)!
£167.2m boost to the Connect to Work Programme
Nine further areas across England to benefit from a £167 million investment in Connect to Work, an employability programme for the sick and disabled to get into work.
Do we want the Boost the UK economy by £22 Billion?
A new report from Learning and Work Institute is calling for sustained action to reverse over a decade of decline in adult literacy and numeracy skills, as well as learning to GCSE and A level equivalent, with an economic prize of £22 billion at stake for the economy.
Learning and Work calculated that restoring adult skills attainment to 2010 levels would be a ten-year effort... and require an extra £2.2 billion annual investment from people, employers and the Government.... But it would save UK taxpayers £8 billion each year and boost the economy by the equivalent of £500 for every working-age person.
What's happening in Wales?
Loads! Last week at the Labour Party conference there was a lot of talk about Maintenance Grants (but paid for via an international student levy)... but in Wales, a really practical measure for young people is rocketing... with a record number of young people signing-up for the new £1 Bus fare scheme in Wales. The Welsh Government initiative, which is currently open for 16-21-year-olds, has seen a record number of young people apply for a MyTravel pass with Transport for Wales receiving more than 26,000 new applications, which is a 38% increase since the launch of the scheme in July. This to me seems a really practical solution for young people... will we see similar in England?
ColegauCymru has launched its Manifesto for the Senedd 2026 election, setting out a bold and transformative vision for Further Education (FE) and Work-Based Learning in Wales.
Tax Free Burseries for Aspiring Teachers
Bursaries for teacher trainees in Further Education have been announced this week with up to £31k for STEM specialist topics, £15k for SEND specialists and £10k for those teaching English in FE... but will this do enough to bridge the gap between schools and FE and Skills Educators? When will we also have support for ITPs and Apprenticeships, particularly to support high skilled dual professionals into Apprenticeships?
So once again, loads happening, and I hope you enjoy FE Soundbite this week.
Epic Exclusives Thought Leadership Articles
Our Top 3 Thought Leadership Articles This Week
Firstly, Skills Minister Jacqui Smith on the Missing Middle, NEETs, and Why Gold Standard Apprenticeships Matter By Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, DWP & DfE
Secondly, The Constant Learners: Why Millennials and Gen Z Adults Need Apprenticeships Too By Thomas Burton, Head of Apprenticeship Delivery, York St John University
Finally, Reflections from the Labour Party Conference By Sorah Gluck, Senior Policy Advisor, Edge Foundation
This week, we also had some other Epic Exclusives!
Why our Education System Must Embrace the AI Era By Daniel Sanchez-Grant, SVP International & UK Country Director at AlphaSense
Beyond Heat Pumps and Headcounts: Rethinking Green Skills in FE By Charlotte Bonner, CEO at EAUC (The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges)
How the Foundation Year Plays an Integral Part in Widening Access to Education By Dr Lucy Atkinson, Director of the Centre for Academic Persistence at Arden University
Beyond Awareness: Moving from Neurodiversity Policy to Practice in FE and HE By Imran Mir SFHEA, FSET, CMgr MCMI, FRSA
What’s New in the World of FE?
Announcements
UK Universities’ India Expansion Set to Bring £50m Economic Boost By the Department for Education (DfE)
Tax Free Bursaries and Scholarships up to £31,000 For Aspiring Teachers To Train By the Department for Education (DfE)
£167.2m boost to the Connect to Work Programme By the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Record Number Of Young People Sign-up For The New £1 Bus Fare Scheme In Wales By the Welsh Government
Reports
Skills to Deliver the UK’s Future: Energy & Utility Skills Strategy 2025–2030 By Energy & Utility Skills
Restoring Adult Skills Attainment to 2010 Levels Could Boost the Economy by £22Bn By the Learning and Work Institute
CollegesWales calls for a mission-led transformation of FE to grow the Welsh economy and up-skill the nation By CollegesWales
Voices
Manufacturers Will Support The PM’s Skills Commitments, But Don’t Ignore Crucial Entry Routes Into Industry By Jamie Cater, Make UK Senior Policy Manager – Skills
Campus Security IS Safeguarding: Why We Must Rethink ‘Security Management’ in Education By Mark Thomson, Managing Director at Watchword Professional Services
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We hope you enjoy FE Soundbite this week. Stay curious, keep innovating, and let's shake up the world of FE together, and catch you next week!
By Danny O’Meara, Digital Project Manager, FE News
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