Shane Chowen

This is what Pat McFadden wants to talk about on the Sunday shows in the morning ahead of National Apprenticeship Week.

Unfortunately, as Peter Mandelson's deputy when he was business secretary, I suspect Keunssberg et al will have other ideas.

My @financialtimes.com debut - 15 years ago

(They all missed)

a man in a red cape is standing in front of a portal with the letter cp on it ALT: a man in a red cape is standing in front of a portal with the letter cp on it

Winter Olympics opening ceremony

“I’ve been cast at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony”

“What are you?”

“A stovetop espresso maker.”

Full front page

McFadden overstated employer interest in jobs guarantee Work and pensions secretary backtracks on claim 60+ employers already 'committed' jobs for NEET young people

Story

feweek.co.uk/mcfadden-ove...

Loving the @patmcfaddenmp.bsky.social headlines this week

@playbookdc.bsky.social @feweek.bsky.social

Good evening! Coming up in this week’s FE Week:

🔍In the wake of rising school absences, more under-16s are studying at colleges. We look at what makes this provision a success
🧾Why have London’s adult ed providers shunned extra cash?
📢College union boss faces allegations of election rule breaches

Watchdog to hear claims Jo Grady broke UCU election rules The general secretary narrowly won the 2024 ballot by 182 votes

Rough week for UCU's Jo Grady next week:

Tuesday: Defending accusations of election rule breaches: feweek.co.uk/watchdog-to-...

Thursday: Her own staff go on strike (again): feweek.co.uk/ucu-staff-to...

McFadden over-stated employer interest in jobs guarantee Work and pensions secretary backtracks on claim 60+ employers already 'committed' jobs for NEET young people

Oh dear. Last week DWP secretary of state McFadden claimed 60+ employers had "committed" to providing jobs for NEET young people through the flagship jobs guarantee scheme

Today we learned there was no "commitment" ... just an "interest"

feweek.co.uk/mcfadden-ove...

DfE considers BTEC defunding delay Transition plan to new V Levels set to be published alongside level 3 and below pathways consultation response

Sixth form college principals heard a hint that scheduled defunding of level 3 qualifications, like BTECs, could be paused. Decision to come when ministers respond to a consultation on new V Level qualifications "within weeks"

feweek.co.uk/dfe-consider...

Watchdog to hear claims Jo Grady broke UCU election rules The general secretary narrowly won the 2024 ballot by 182 votes

UCU general secretary Jo Grady will face off against two of her 2024 election opponents next week over claims union resources were used to help her win

feweek.co.uk/watchdog-to-...

🗞️This week's FE Week front page:

Employer anxiety grows over apprenticeship ’streamlining’

Subscribe | feweek.co.uk/subscribe/

#TomorrowsPapersToday

DfE’s skills boss moves to schools brief Julia Kinniburgh's director general for skills role will be filled temporarily by DfE director Sinead O'Sullivan

🔀 DfE's top skills official will take over the schools and SEND brief in a leadership shuffle at the top of the department

Ministers urge colleges to expand overseas New international education strategy vows to cut red tape to ‘diversify income’

✈️ Colleges generated £15.1m from overseas delivery in 23-24 (most recent financial data available) - £14.1m of that was just one college (Lincoln), with the rest coming from 6 colleges. Doesn't sound look like there's much appetite in the sector for taking on the risk.

feweek.co.uk/ministers-ur...

Day in the life with hairdressing lecturer Lisa Charles Nescot hairdressing lecturer Lisa Charles is Pearson National Teaching Awards FE lecturer of the year. But her job is sometimes more about psychology than hair

For Pearson National Teaching Awards FE lecturer of the year Lisa Charles, although teaching hairdressing at Nescot is the core job, it’s the pastoral care she provides for her students that’s often her most important task

feweek.co.uk/day-in-the-l...

PeopleCert opens investigation into 'conduct' of City & Guilds execs City & Guilds’ new owner PeopleCert has launched its own investigation into the conduct of the awarding giant’s top executives, FE Week has learned.

NEW: After informing City & Guilds staff last night that the CEO and CFO are now on a 'leave of absence', PeopleCert have launched their own investigation 'to fully understand events before and after' they bought the awarding giant and the 'conduct' of top executives

feweek.co.uk/peoplecert-o...

Top two City & Guilds execs placed on leave City & Guilds’ chief executive Kirstie Donnelly and chief finance officer Abid Ismail will "be absent from work for a short period”, staff were told

Amid a statutory inquiry by the Charity Commission, the chief executive and chief finance officer of City & Guilds have been placed on 'short term' leave

feweek.co.uk/top-two-city...

Coming up in this week's @feweek.bsky.social:

🚨City & Guilds CEO and CFO placed on ‘temporary’ leave
⭐️First Ofsted ‘exceptional’ recipient interviewed
🧑‍⚖️Stalker student sentenced after making AI sex images of staff

FEATURE: We find out why Nescot’s Lisa Charles was named FE lecturer of the year

Student stalked staff and talked to their ‘deep fakes’ College learner handed 3-year community order and lifetime restraining orders

A deeply disturbing case, which I'm sure presented the college with some difficult challenges, but which pales into insignificance next to the ordeal the staff victims went through

feweek.co.uk/student-stal...

Chichester CEO Green unable to work, staff told Deputy chief executive covering Andrew Green's duties until further notice

The CEO and accounting officer of one of the country's largest college groups has taken a leave of absence. The reason has not been explained.

feweek.co.uk/chichester-c...

Another college has called off strike action - bringing the total this week down to 16

Half of college strikes called off as three-day walk out begins Strike list whittled down to 17 colleges after more deals and talks tabled

🪧 Teachers in 17 FE colleges across the country downed tools today over low pay and high workload

33 UCU branches voted to strike initially - showing the threat of strike action can still hold sway

feweek.co.uk/half-of-coll...

Watchdog opens ‘statutory inquiry’ into City & Guilds sale Executive bonuses and trustees’ ‘decision making’ to be formally probed

🚨Breaking: The charity regulator has launched a statutory inquiry into the recent sale of City & Guilds to a private company, including reports of executive bonuses and trustees’ “decision making”

feweek.co.uk/watchdog-ope...

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Good evening! Coming up in this week’s @feweek.bsky.social :

🥾Mayors give bootcamps the boot
💷 DfE countersues training provider in termination case
👀MoJ is misleading on prison ed cuts, claims watchdog

FEATURE: As education slips down voter priorities, are opposition parties flying the flag?

Charity Commission to ‘obtain more information’ about City & Guilds sale Charity Commission 'engaging actively' with the City and Guilds Foundation following reports that ex-bosses received million-pound bonuses

The Charity Commission is "actively engaging" with the City & Guilds Foundation over the recent sale of its commercial training and awarding business

feweek.co.uk/charity-comm...

My first number 1

Looking forward to this one. Thanks for the recommendation @samfr.bsky.social

AoC quids in after £9m cash windfall New accounts also reveal the AoC's CEO has joined the £200k club

Kerching!

feweek.co.uk/aoc-quids-in...